The global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform Authentic Brands Group has today announced its expansion with the launch of Authentic Studios, a full-serviceproductionstudio that will develop and produce film, TV and commercial content drawing on Authentics portfolio of more than 40 world-renowned brands.
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The formation of Authentic Studios marks the next phase of growth of the Entertainment division at Authentic, which counts such entertainment and sports superstars as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille ONeal and David Beckham amongst its portfolio, along with brands like Sports Illustrated, Reebok, Juicy Couture, Ted Baker, Brooks Brothers and Forever 21.
Authentic Studios will be based in Beverly Hills, where Authentic recently expanded with a new 15,000 square-foot West Coast headquarters, looking to maximize the value of the companys owned brands while developing new IP.
Authentic Studios President Colin Smeeton, Shaquille O’Neal and David BeckhamAuthentic/Studio 99
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Authentic Studios currently comprises four labels: Shaquille ONeals Jersey Legends, David BeckhamsStudio 99, Sports Illustrated Studios and Authentic Productions.
Each will create diversified content in all formats around Authentics key portfolio of brands and media properties, and Authentic Studios will simultaneously look for new material to develop and produce outside them, also participating in co-production and financing opportunities with third parties.
Both ONeals Jersey Legends and Beckhams Studio 99 additionally boast commercial divisions, providing in-house production services for commercial content and high-end creative development, which service a range of partners and clients.
This provides turn-key solutions, allowing partners to operate against tighter production schedules, while creating stronger collaboration and more unified brand storytelling from concept to production.
Serving as President of Authentic Studios is Colin Smeeton, who joined Authentic more than seven years ago after being among the key executives who helped build ONeals personal brand expansion, strategic partnerships and new business ventures.
Smeeton has since been at the forefront of developing Authentics entertainment business, drawing on over 20 years of experience in film, television and documentaries.
He most recently executive produced the Sports Emmy-nominated docuseriesShaqfor HBO Max and has also produced multiple projects for Lionsgate, ABC, ESPN, TNT and Netflix.
UK media executive Nicola Howson, who co-founded Studio 99 with Beckham and David Gardner, will continue to lead that business from Authentics London office.
Jersey Legends co-founder Mike Parris will continue to initiate the labels day-to-day business alongside Smeeton and serve as an exec producer for its content.
Authentic Studios is unique in its ability to leverage Authentics in-house roster of brands and a deep catalog of IP to develop and produce content in all forms with 360-rights control, said Smeeton.
Each of our four labels features a style of storytelling resulting in compelling content for all traditional and streaming mediums.
ONeals Jersey Legends most recently produced the aforementionedShaq, chronicling the NBA stars ascent to superstardom, and has multiple projects in various stages of development.
The company is coming off a 2022 Best Documentary Short Oscar win forThe Queen of Basketball, directed by Ben Proudfoot.
Studio 99s production slate includesWorld War Shoe, a Disney+ documentary chronicling the sibling rivalry that spawned the global sneaker giants Puma and Adidas; a new biopic of world snooker legend Ronnie OSullivan; a Netflix docuseries charting the life and career of Beckham; and as-yet-unannounced series for Amazon and ESPN.
Studio 99 has also recently deliveredSave Our Squadfor Disney+ andFever Pitch, a history of the Premier League, for Paramount+.
Sports Illustrated Studios is set to produce an HBO documentary, based on the bombshell article from Sports Illustrated chronicling systemic sexual abuse within the Ohio State wrestling program, alongside George Clooney and Grant Heslovs Smoke House Pictures and 101 Studios, with Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Orner directing.
The studio is focused on developing and producing a range of scripted, alternative and documentary projects that originate from the media powerhouses vast library that features seven decades of storytelling, to be distributed across premium cable and streaming platforms.
Coming off of a banner year with the Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominatedElvisand the critically acclaimed Netflix animated seriesAgent Elvis, Authentic Productions is in various stages of development on features, scripted series, docuseries, animation, musicals, new media and live events surrounding Presley, Ali and other Authentic brands.
