Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks’ Superstar, and two-time NBA MVP, is currently making significant strides in the media production industry alongside Jay Williams, a highly revered ESPN basketball commentator and author.
The duo’s newest endeavor, Improbable Media, is backed by Verance Capital and GPS Investment Partners.
This brand consulting and production company is gunning for greatness by offering production services to up-and-coming athletes, entertainers, and performers who thirst for control over their personal stories.
“How do we become the Motown of production services,” Williams told me in a recent interview. “Not everyone can carry their own shingle. That’s what the new model is, under Improbable (directly) or not.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to produce a heist movie and a cooking show with his new company Improbable Media.
CEO Jonathan Stern joins today's show—and shares why more and more sports media is athlete-driven.https://t.co/L5QhtJim5R pic.twitter.com/hVwJ5gGWFM
— Front Office Sports Today (@FOS_Today) March 20, 2024
The multi-division production and brand consulting company kicked off operations with Antetokounmpo’s gripping documentary ‘Giannis: The Marvelous Journey.’
This feature-length documentary follows the two-time NBA MVP’s journey from Athens to becoming one of basketball’s most celebrated players worldwide.
Improbable Media is not just about athlete narratives; the company is all set to begin principal photography on a heist comedy set in the scenic beauty of Greece.
Additionally, a cooking show and other unique projects are on the agenda. Directed by Greek-American, Christopher Andre Marks, this is a collaborative effort with Skydance Sports, Lightbox, and Mission Control Media.
Williams, inspired by Lebron James and Kevin Durant’s ventures into media productions, approached Antetokounmpo to consider a similar move. “Every athlete and entertainer should be thinking about their business,” Williams asserted.
“It’s about understanding how (an athlete’s personal) brand aligns with their identity,” Williams said. “It’s not only imperative but also about who you are. Working with your endorsements, thinking through what those economics are, creation, production and ideation for these companies was critical.”
“Young talent have the flexibility to allow their brand to remain relevant while being true to their values,” Williams said. “Every athlete and entertainer should be thinking about their business. Everybody is getting media training, but nobody knows how to create an arc around their story.”
While the former handles media production, the latter provides strategy and solutions. Brands like Nike, WhatsApp, and Breitling are just a few clients under Nuance’s belt.
The vision of Jay Williams isn’t solely rooted in media production. He aims to capitalize on the rapid shift in media opportunities.
“When I travel around and talk to schools about collectives and NIL …a lot of schools are learning to operationalize their athletic departments,” Williams said. “We can help with that in a really big way.”
supporting young athletes understand the need to create an arc around their personal stories and go beyond merely being an on-court presence.
Williams has already predicted the future complications and opportunities that could arise if college sports’ scholarship players get classified as school employees with unionization rights.
