Tennis player Naomi Osaka is launching a media production company in partnership with NBA star LeBron James’ media group, The SpringHill Company.
Osaka and her agent and business partner Stuart Duguid’s decision to collaborate with The SpringHill Company is the tennis star’s latest business launch.
The SpringHill Company is an entertainment production conglomerate co-founded by James and businessman Maverick Carter.
News of the launch comes after Osaka and Duguid co-founded athlete representation agency Evolve last month.
The new production company, Hana Kuma, will produce scripted, non-fiction content, beginning with a New York Times documentary about the first woman of color elected to Congress, Patsy Mink. The company will spotlight “empowering” and “culture-specific” stories, according to a press release.
“There has been an explosion of color makers finally equipped with resources and a huge platform,” Osaka said in the statement. “In the age of streaming, content has a more holistic perspective. You can see this in the popularity of television from Asia, Europe and Latin America that the unique can also be universal. My story also testifies to this. »
Hana Kuma will receive production and strategic resources from The SpringHill Company, according to the statement. Hana Kuma also has partnerships with crypto exchange FTX and healthcare platform Modern Health.
Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion. She recently said she would be skipping Wimbledon for the second year in a row. The tennis star has not competed on tour since last month’s first-round defeat at Roland Garros.
