Tennis champion, Naomi Osaka is partnering with SpringHill Company, a media conglomerate created by Lebron James to launch a media production company.
The production company, Hana Kuma, will produce scripted and nonfiction content, starting with Patsy Mink, the first woman of colour elected to U.S. Congress.
In addition, Hana Kuma will be working with crypto exchange platform FTX and health platform, Modern Health.
What they are saying
Osaka explained that Hana Kuma means flower bear in Japanese scripted and unscripted television series, documentaries, anime and branded content, which is entertainment programming that has embedded or integrated advertising.
She said, “There has been an explosion of creators of colour finally being equipped with resources and a huge platform. In the streaming age, content has a more global 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 is a testament to that as well.”
On concerns about running the business at the risk of her career, she said, “I honestly can’t say if I’ll personally be in anything right now. What excites me is being able to inspire people and tell new stories, particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid. I always wanted to kind of see someone like me.”
James pointed out that Osaka’s grace and power on and off the court made her a good match for SpringHill, which exists to empower athlete creators.
He said, “We don’t take for granted the position we are in to lend a helping hand, in this case to Naomi, to help empower her to do even more great things,”
What you should know
- Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion who ranks as the world’s highest-paid female athlete, having earned $57 million in 2021 mostly from sponsorships.
- The 24-year-old has 12 sponsors, including Nike, Mastercard, Louis Vuitton and Panasonic.
- In May, Osaka launched an athlete representation agency called Evolve.
