Two of the most powerful figures in sports and entertainment are working together to build a major brand in Canada. On Tuesday, it was announced NBA star LeBron James is partnering with hip-hop and R&B artist Drake to launch UNINTERRUPTED in the country north of the United States. This is an athlete empowerment brand founded by James and his business partner Maverick Carter and the goal is to “promote athletes to be More Than An Athlete,” according to the press release.
The company is teaming up with Drake to launch a presence in Canada. pic.twitter.com/Q6rvnXW6I7
— Front Office Sports (@frntofficesport) July 30, 2019
“Expanding into Canada with some incredible partners puts Uninterrupted on a global scale and creates new opportunities for even more athletes and fans to be a part of what we’re building,” James said in a statement from Variety.
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The Grammy-winning artist also commented on the move: “Uninterrupted has been an incredible platform for athletes to tell their stories and connect with fans. I’m honored to partner with LeBron to bring Uninterrupted to Canada, a country that continuously supports innovation and creativity.”
UNINTERRUPTED Canada will be like the brand in the United States as it will produce original content that will be hosted by athletes. Some of the athletes featured in UNINTERRUPTED U.S. are James, Vince Carter, C.C. Sabathia and the late Muhammad Ali.
“We’ll focus on sports that people care about and the empowerment of athletes around the world because that’s a universal feeling and a universal truth,” UNINTERRUPTED CEO Maverick Carter said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
James has been able to build a media brand because of the success he has had on the court. Since 2003, James has won three NBA championships, four MVP awards and three NBA Finals MVP trophies. The Akron, Ohio native is also a 15-time All-Star, and three-time NBA All-Star MVP and he’s been named to the All-NBA First Team 12 times.
Drake does not have those type of accolades, but he’s been one of the hottest music artists this decade. He has been earned 42 Grammy-Award nominations and has won four. Drake has also won 27 Billboard Music Awards with 81 nominations. The Canadian native has released five studio albums and each one debuted No. 1 on the U.S. charts. He also has also released six mixtapes and the last three debuted at No.1.
