Flaunt Weeekly
Amazon has struck a multiyear deal for the LeBron James digital series, Mind The Game, which will be distributed across several Amazon properties.
As part of the deal, Amazon’s Wondery will distribute Mind The Game across Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Fire TV Channels and Echo devices, as well as on YouTube and wherever podcasts are available. In its second season, the series will see James host alongside new co-host NBA hall-of-famer Steve Nash.
Wondery will also manage ad-sales representation for all audio and video episodes of the podcast, as well as back catalog content. Uninterrupted, which launched the show last year, will produce the series. Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed.
The second season will launch in April, ahead of the NBA playoffs, and will see James and Nash discussing games and the state of basketball. James co-hosted the first season with JJ Redick, who then was named coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, James’ team. The first season of the podcast was released on YouTube.
“I love learning and talking about the game of basketball. We enjoyed the conversations so much in the first season of Mind The GameI lost JJ as my co-host, but gained a coach,” James said. “Now I get to do it with another one of the greatest basketball minds in Steve Nash, and we’re going to have a lot of fun digging into the nuances and details that make this sport so great.”
“When I decided to step into a media role, I knew it had to be something different—something fresh, something that brings real basketball fans closer to the sport. Mind The Game is my way of being a teacher of basketball, of breaking down the game in a way that makes fans see just how incredible this era of hoops really is. I can’t wait to get inside the mind of LeBron James and also share my experiences within this beautiful game,” Nash said.
This is Wondery’s latest big push into podcasting, and sports media, after acquiring New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce in a nine-figure deal in August. At the time, Wondery CEO Jen Sargent called sports a “strategic priority of Wondery’s and Amazon’s,” and emphasized the company’s 360-degree approach to acquiring series, including moving involving Amazon and moving into video, merchandise, live events and more.
Wondery is also home to titles including Six Trophies, Baby, this is Keke Palmerand Armchair Expert.
