Kevin Durant steps off court to bring sports business talk show to ESPN
The Golden State forward wants to talk business and sports, so he's teaming up with ESPN to bring 'The Boardroom' to audiences
Kevin Durant is rolling out an ESPN+ original series called “The Boardroom,” which delves into the sports industry with athletes, sports executives and technology leaders weighing in on a host of topics and issues, according to Variety magazine.
“The Boardroom” is a six-episode series created by Thirty Five Ventures, the company owned by Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, who both also serve as executive producers. The first two series launch Monday on ESPN+, which is the ESPN’s multi-sport subscription streaming service.
Guests on “The Boardroom” include L.A. Lakers players LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma, Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker, L.A. Clippers owner Steve Balmer, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Peter Guber, the co-owner of Golden State Warriors, L.A. Dodgers and Major League Soccer team LAFC.
Hosted by ESPN’s Jay Williams, with Durant and Kleiman, “The Boardroom” also features ESPN Insider analyst Jordan Schultz, who will serve as a correspondent.
“It’s really important for us to be able to bring fans inside the business world and give them perspectives they haven’t been able to see before, and I hope viewers will love it,” Durant said, according to Variety.
Each series episode will hit on a major, sports-related topic. The first episode will look at sneakers and the second will look at team ownership. Episodes 3 and 4 will focus on social media and player development, respectively, with 5 and 6 tackling athletes and their brands in a two-part feature.
To help promote the series, a feature article on “The Boardroom” will run in the Feb. 15 issue of ESPN The Magazine, featuring Durant, Kleiman and Williams on the magazine cover along with a story on athletes as modern moguls.
‘The Boardroom’ seeks to capture the new way in which professional athletes interact with the business of sports, entrepreneurship, the investment community and our culture more widely,” Connor Schell, ESPN’s EVP of content, told Variety. “Kevin and Rich are part of the group changing the game in that regard, and ‘The Boardroom’ represents the kind of original programs we’re bringing to ESPN+ as we work with the biggest names in sports to tell new kinds of stories.”
