So, a President of the United States, the First Lady, LeBron James and Peyton Manning walk into a TV studio ...
Does this sound like a setup that needs a punchline? Nope, it's no joke. James, the NBA's all-time leading scoring leader, Manning, a five-time NFL MVP, and Barack and Michelle Obama are going into business together.
And it's the TV business, with a partnership between three production companies that is going to lead to another show in the hot category of "sports docuseries.''
According to The Hollywood Reporter, LeBron' SpringHill Company is in negotiations with Manning's Omaha Productions and Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground for a series that would do for professional basketball what the NFL's "Quarterback" did for the NFL when it debuted this summer.
The NBA is apparently going to have a hand in this, and it seems that the show will likely end up on Netflix, as did "Quarterback.''
In "Quarterback's" first season, the series focused on a trio of NFL players at different levels of their career, highlighted by a glimpse into the personal life of Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
With the drawing power of the Obamas, LeBron and Manning - and their production companies, each of which has ample muscle in the TV and movie industry - the show almost can't go wrong. Nor can the finances, given the connections involved.
Manning's Omaha Productions is now a recognized brand. And the Obamas' Higher Ground? They have a film and TV deal with Netflix, and a podcast deal with Audible, and maybe the most prestigious product of all, a potential Oscar contender in the film American Symphony.
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