Time Inc. at its NewFronts in N.Y. this morning announced a partnership between its SI brand, recently retired Lakers G Kobe Bryant, Bryant’s production company Kobe Studios and Believe Entertainment Group to create a multiplatform video project based on Bryant’s "Dear Basketball" letter. The "Dear Basketball" letter, which in November served as Bryant's retirement announcement on The Players' Tribune, this fall will become an animated short film on SI.com joined by behind-the-scenes documentaries of the film's creation. The "Dear Basketball" film also will involve noted Disney animator Glen Keane, whose credits include "Aladdin," "Tarzan" and "Beauty and the Beast," along with famed Hollywood composer John Williams. The project also represents one of the first major activities for Bryant since finishing his two-decade career as an NBA player. "We are proud to collaborate with Kobe to tell the comprehensive story of his first endeavor after retiring from the NBA in a way that only SI can," said Time Inc. President of Entertainment & Sports Group and Video Rich Battista. SI, Kobe Studios and Believe Entertainment will hold a red-carpet premiere for the "Dear Basketball" film upon its completion.
OVER THE TOP: Time Inc. today also announced the planned debut this September of a new, ad-supported, OTT video network based around its People and Entertainment Weekly brands. It is likely that some SI content, particularly material from its Swimsuit franchise, will appear on the network. The media giant additionally has partnered with prominent virtual reality outfit NextVR to create content in the enhanced video format across several Time Inc. brands, including SI, People, Time and EW. The content will be collected around a new Life VR moniker that extends the Life magazine brand, and will be available through NextVR's VR application. For NextVR, the Time Inc. alliance extends a recent run of dealmaking that has also included Fox Sports and Live Nation.
