LeBron James has dominated professional basketball for over a decade. Now, he's setting his sights on the small screen.
James has produced two television shows that are set to debut later in October. While both shows are inspired by James' personal experiences, they have different target demographics.
The first show, "Becoming," will debut on Oct. 26 on Disney XD. The show is aimed at children and families, and will follow the lives of star athletes before they became famous.
"I'm really excited about helping develop 'Becoming' and bringing this kind of program to kids," James said in a statement. "Sports and athletes were my inspiration growing up. It was the stories about Michael Jordan, Deion Sanders, and Allen Iverson that kept me dreaming. When I learned that they had some of the same struggles and challenges I did, it made everything seem possible. That's what 'Becoming' is all about."
James and childhood friend and business partner Maverick Carter are credited as executive producers of the half-hour show. The pilot episode will focus on James' upbringing.
"It is incredibly exciting to use our style of non-fiction storytelling to showcase LeBron's extraordinary story," said Connor Schell, vice president and executive producer of ESPN Films. "For an audience of kids everywhere, the tone of the show is meant to be aspirational and illustrate how much support and hard work goes into LeBron becoming who he is today."
The other TV show James is involved in is titled "Survivor's Remorse," which will debut this Saturday on STARZ. The show is a comedy that focuses on Cam Calloway, a fictional pro basketball star, and his family and friends. The show is intended for adult audiences and is produced by James, Carter and current Boston Red Sox chairman, Tom Werner.
James has expressed his desire in the past to be a global brand. Tapping into television and other areas of pop culture is the next step towards that goal. Forbes lists James as the second-highest earning celebrity behind Beyonce, with an annual total earning of $72 million as of June. James' Q Score, which companies use to measure a celebrity's consumer appeal, is the highest in the NBA at 25.
