PlayersTV Adds Ghee To Conquer Athlete Media Economy Worth Billions

PlayersTV, the athlete and fan owned media-network announced they will be led by Michele Ghee who is stepping into the role of President after serving on the board for two years, further solidifying their position as a company set on shaping culture through the athlete-creator economy.

As USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Dean Willow Bay, co-principal investigator on the Owning the Narrative Report, explained companies like PlayersTV and leaders like Ghee are pioneering the standard in media. “Athlete-owned media isn’t just driving billions in value with a new business model — it’s rebalancing power and reshaping culture”, said Bay.

Ghee at the helm, marks another innovative and venturesome, yet strategic move by PlayersTV to do just that, shape culture and storytelling in a new direction. Ghee has over two decades of experience as a media executive, cultural strategist, and entrepreneur who has led billions of dollars in transactions for media juggernauts like CNN, A&E, The History Channel, The Weather Channel, Ebony, BET Networks/BET Her, and most recently Essence.

Ghee has been highly praised and endorsed by the players that have invested in PlayersTV such as NBA All-Star Chris Paul, “I believe in leading by example, and Michele has proven she is able to do just that. Her wealth of experience will help guide PlayersTV in its era of growth.”

With the acquisition of Ghee and her company Expectant Media, PlayersTV co-founders Deron Guidrey and Collin Castellaw feel their company will continue to push the envelope and expand their offerings, all while continuing to set the tone and direction for the industry. Guidrey said, “We saw immense value in Michele and what she’s built across media, content, and activation to support our growing flywheel. She is a proven leader in advancing equity across content and distribution, and we look forward to the high-caliber impact she will have on our organization and with our growing stable of premium partners.”

Castellaw added, “We’re excited to add Michele’s strong leadership to PlayersTV and expand our core offerings. It’s a natural progression of PlayersTV to offer real-life activations with brands that extend the value of our content and deepen the connection between athletes, fans, and partners. This amplifies our unique strengths in ownership, reach, authenticity, and impact.”

Ghee’s New Vision for PlayersTV Expanding the Athlete Creator Ecosystem

As Ghee transitions into the role, she will immediately hit the ground running and begin by expanding on what PlayersTV has already done well: the athlete creator economy. Ghee stated, “What I have learned and what I’ve been able to build in the past and at other places is to aggregate some amazing storytellers. The athletes that we serve are there, they’re singularly telling these stories. If I could aggregate them all together, and give them a home, so they can maximize their distribution, then they also maximize the audiences they reach.”

According to the Owning the Narrative Report, the athlete creator economy is massive and continues to explode and grow. For example, the report found that “athlete-owned podcasts amassed more than 7 billion views on YouTube, 725 million likes on TikTok, and 37 million Instagram followers” demonstrating the power of social media followings and the connection athlete creators generate worldwide with fans.

In addition, the report discovered 33 athlete-owned production companies producing more than 370 media properties with examples like LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company which is valued at $725 million and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions valued at $400 million.

The athlete creator economy is also an area where women athletes have been able to thrive with companies like Togethxr and Just Women’s Sports founded by current and former professional athletes Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Haley Rosen, Chloe Kim, and Simone Manuel.

Under Ghee’s leadership, PlayersTV will continue to hone their athlete centered content that connects with fans across the world and allows the athletes and their guests to share stories in an authentic way while also talking about cultural relevant topics that affect all walks of life. For example, PlayersTV already offers Aerial View with Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers, Breathe Through It with Golden State Valkyrie Monique Billings, Health is Wealth with Dr. Myron Rolle, and the Lowe Point with former Olympian Chaunté Lowe.

Furthermore, Ghee feels this athlete-led storytelling will enhance brand partnerships for PlayersTV, another important part of her strategic vision for the company. She detailed, “The brands know how valuable their [the athletes] stories are because we don’t have to build audiences for them. They already have followers, right? They already have fans. They already have folks that love them. That’s half the battle when you’re building a brand is to find those loyal followers. They already exist. All we have to do is provide them the space and place to reach them more efficiently, in a bigger way, and a grander way, and it gives them an opportunity to have longevity.”

Ghee’s Pedigree and Experience Combine with Intuitive Leadership

To led in this new space, takes someone with confidence in their skill set, background, and network which Ghee has in spades. She explained, “I’ve worked for a lot of culturally relevant brands and culture sits at the center of everything that we’re talking about. I think that’s really important to have that lens to understand how different communities are powering certain narratives.”

She continued, “The other thing that I’ve learned is to have a niche skill set. One that I have really drilled down on is analytics. I always want to see the numbers. What did that say? How are we talking to people? How are we using focus group? How are we using data to drive, some of the things that we want to do? So that’s a skill set that I have.”

She expanded, “I have learned to be a content creator. I know how to engage with people, because I’m also an influencer, right? So, I understand the power of storytelling and how to tell a story. I’ll say that there are not many people that understand media, technology, programmatic marketplace, the power of distribution, distribution channels, and how we own ours and the partnerships we have. When you combine all of that, I know what I’m talking about and I can pull all of these different things together to put out one amazing product that’s gonna benefit a whole lot of folks including our storytellers, our brands, and our investors.”

As Ghee moves and shapes her new role she said, “This next chapter focuses on scaling the model, doubling down on our investment in original content, exploring additional technologies, and expanding our distribution channels. We’re connecting premium athlete-led lifestyle and culture content with real-world experiences that create lasting value for athletes, partners, and fans alike – and amplifying with technology and scaled distribution. I think it is gonna be fun. A lot of fun.”

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