Photo Credit: Drake Instagram
Drake has announced a partnership with LeBron James to launch the digital platform Uninterrupted in Canada.
Uninterrupted was founded by James and his business partner Maverick Carter. The media company empowers athletes to connect directly with fans, a theme that sounds familiar to musicians. The partnership with Drake will spawn Uninterrupted Canada as the first international expansion for the brand.
Uninterrupted launched in the U.S. in 2015 after receiving $15.8 million in funding from Turner Sports and Warner Bros. Uninterrupted Canada will produce athlete-focused content, events, and merchandise.
As part of the company’s first effort to produce content, it has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Toronto Raptors star Serge Ibaka. Ibaka is developing a fashion line with Canadian retailer Holt Renfrew.
Uninterrupted Canada (UC) will also produce a motivational poster series with pitcher Marcus Stroman for shorter-than-average athletes. Stroman formerly pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and is now with the New York Mets. UC will also serve as a distributor for Uninterrupted’s U.S. created content.
UC will be led by CEO Scott Moore and Chief Content Officer Vinay Virmani, who will oversee UC’s creative operation and content development. Moore will lead business operations and development and brand partnerships. Moore anticipates that National Hockey League players will take advantage of Uninterrupted Canada’s promotional megaphone.
Drake and LeBron James have close personal ties, so the partnership makes sense.
Both served as executive producers for The Carter Effect documentary in 2017. The documentary looked at NBA star Vince Carter’s life and debuted at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival.
In a statement about the partnership, Drake had huge praise for the digital platform.
“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 has ambitions outside of North America, too. The company hopes to focus on pro athletes with celebrity status in sports like cricket and soccer for the British, European, and Indian markets.