The Players’ Tribune and AOL have announced a digital video series featuring athletes such as Rockets C Dwight Howard and former NFLers LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Strahan as part of a new partnership between the two media companies. The series is the first distribution agreement for TPT and part of a larger partnership with AOL. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. The series, “Real Fan Life with Ben Lyons,” will premiere Thursday, Jan. 28, on TPT and AOL. Howard, Tomlinson, Strahan, Clippers F Paul Pierce, Spurs F LaMarcus Aldridge and Rays 3B Evan Longoria will be featured in videos talking to television, radio and online host Lyons about their lives and personal interests outside their respective games. “This partnership has allowed us to bring viewers a new dynamic that they’re not seeing in sports media -- exclusive access to some of the world’s best players in a way that they’ve never seen before,” said Jimmy Maymann, AOL Exec VP and President of AOL Content & Consumer Brands. He added, “Through our partnership with The Players’ Tribune, we’ve been able to fill a white space in sports and create something really exciting and video-driven for audiences.” The six-part video series does not have a sponsor. Asked why not, Maymann said, “We are a publisher and our primary focus is to create unique and engaging experiences for our audience, like what we are doing with The Players’ Tribune. To do that, we sometimes have to invest in premium content and later find ways to integrate advertisers in meaningful ways to monetize it.” TPT President Jaymee Messler said AOL and TPT have been in talks about a partnership since the site launched in October '14. The partnership agreement is not exclusive, Messler said. As previously reported in SportsBusiness Journal, TPT is looking to increase its distribution and audience in '16. Messler said the partnership “is a great way to reach more fans.” This is the first of two video series in the AOL-TPT partnership. Details of the second series are still being finalized, Messler said.
