Charles Barkley is getting ready to take on a brand new game.
The basketball great, whose talent on the court and behind the camera was established during 16 seasons in the NBA and nearly a quarter-century as an analyst for Warner Bros. Discovery, wants to get into the business of producing a broader range of content — some of it tied to sports, and some of it linked to popular culture.
To do so, he will launch Round Mound Media, a new production venture, in league with EverWonder Studio, an independent content studio led by Ian Orefice and backed by Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI. The new studio will tap Barkley’s vision for ideas that are expected to lead to original documentaries; live telecasts; and scripted content. Barkley is just the latest sports star to try his hand at the content game, which has attracted top athletes ranging from LeBron James to Joel Embiid.
“Round Mound Media is about creating an outlet for my vision to share compelling, original stories meant to captivate audiences across the world,” said Barkley, in a statement. “I’ve always looked for projects and relationships that will allow me to be authentic, and hopefully to build my platform for making the world a better place. EverWonder Studio is the perfect partner to be my creative home and bring this to the next level. Fans will love what we have in the works and I’m excited to get started.”
Puck News previously reported that Barkley and EverWonder were in discussions.
Barkley’s fans and observers will likely be “surprised by how much content will actually be about culture and about society and entertainment beyond the world of sports,” says Orefice, Everwonder’s CEO, during an interview. “Most people probably first think of Charles as an athlete and a broadcast talent, but his passions are so much greater than that. This will be a great outlet for him to have.”
Ten projects are already in development, including what is hoped to become the definitive long-form documentary about Barkley’s life. Another concept aims to create a franchise of documentary films, each one spotlighting unexplored stories related to basketball, and all narrated by Barkley. Some scripted projects are also being developed.
Barkley will continue to work exclusively as an on-air analyst for Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports and TNT Sports will have a first look at all of Barkley’s sports-related projects developed with Round Mound.
Marc Perman, who has managed Barkley for more than three decades, will serve as president of the new production company in addition to keeping his current role with Perman Management, Inc. Barkley and Perman worked to produce the limited series “American Race” for TNT, as well as “The Great Debate With Charles Barkley,” a sports documentary that examined the lives of six basketball legends.
“With this new joint venture we have the backing of a studio that understands and believes in Charles’s creative vision, and will elevate his prolific ideas,” said Perman, in a statement. “EverWonder is an excellent partner to amplify Charles’s unmatched voice and perspective in a way that fans and audiences haven’t seen before, and we can’t wait to bring these new opportunities to screen.”
RedBirdIMI made an investment in EverWonder, led by Orefice, a former president of Time Inc. Studios, in 2023 — the first media investment by the $1 billion fund, which is led by Zucker and backed by Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird and Abu Dhabi’s International Media Investments. Orefice founded EverWonder in a bid to do more with non-fiction content, which remains in demand across a number of content hubs and TV networks.
The company already has a relationship with TNT Sports. EverWonder produced the Players Era Festival, a showcase that gives college athletes opportunities to engage in unique activities that might help them promote their name, image and likeness. TNT is also set to telecast a golf match-up that has Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler square off against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in what is essentially a PGA Golf versus LIV Golf tournament.
“I worked with Charles for many years at Turner Sports. So, I know firsthand what an incredible storyteller Charles is and how much he cares about the content,” said Zucker, in a statement. “I am absolutely thrilled to watch and support the continued evolution of EverWonder and the growth of Round Mound Media, together.”
Source Agencies
