LaVar Ball now has his own reality show with Bunim/Murray Productions to produce “Ball In The Family,” a weekly series that will be part of Facebook’s Watch platform. The show’s first two episodes premiere today, and new episodes will be released every Sunday starting Sept. 10. The show joins Facebook Watch's list of sports programs that include MLB’s “MLB Live,” the World Surf League’s “WSL Surfing Sundays” and Whistle Sports’ “Showdowns.” Bunim/Murray is the same production company behind E!’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and MTV’s “The Real World" (John Ourand, Staff Writer). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Imani Moise noted trailers for the show "indicate it will offer an inside look at the family, including LaVar’s efforts to groom his three sons into basketball legends, the building of the Big Baller Brand business and his wife’s rehabilitation after a stroke" (WSJ.com, 8/30). In L.A., Tania Ganguli notes the show was "filmed during" the Las Vegas Summer League, which Lakers G Lonzo Ball was named MVP for (L.A. TIMES, 8/30). VARIETY's Todd Spangler noted for now, access to Facebook’s Watch is "available to a limited number of U.S. users in a test rollout, but any Facebook user can access 'Ball in the Family' from its dedicated show page on the service." Facebook is "betting that LaVar Ball and his larger-than-life personality will pull a crowd." LaVar Ball and Tina Ball "serve as producers" for the show (VARIETY.com, 8/30).
A NEW ERA: In L.A., David Pierson notes when it came to "choosing where to broadcast his family’s inevitable reality series," LaVar Ball was "willing to look past the established giants of the medium." Glendale-based Bunim-Murray Productions execs said that they were "approached by Facebook, to make the series." Though Facebook is "paying for the show’s production, the tech giant and BMP declined to say how much the series cost." Facebook is "reportedly paying up to $250,000 for longer form shows, which it will own like Netflix and Amazon does with their original content." Shorter shows will "receive $10,000 or more, but can share advertising revenue." Facebook’s data will give BMP a way to "track viewership differently from the Nielsen ratings the company has long relied upon." BMP execs said that fans may even "influence the direction of the show if they indicate what they enjoy watching most" (L.A. TIMES, 8/31).
