Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment's Screen Media Acquires 'Vince Carter: Legacy'
Documentary Chronicling Final Season to Premiere as Crackle Original
Movie Produced in Partnership with NBA Players Association
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced Screen Media's acquisition of all rights to the documentary film Vince Carter: Legacy, which will premiere on the Crackle Plus Networks as an Original title in October. Through never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with NBA stars and personnel of past and present, including Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Dominique Wilkins, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, Legacy tells the full, definitive, unfiltered story of NBA icon Vince Carter.
Twenty-two seasons. Four decades. The respect and admiration of countless fans and players. Vince Carter has put together an unprecedented basketball career. But the next chapters are yet to be written, and his impact on the sport has not yet been fully realized. With Legacy, he's given THINK450, the content and partnership engine of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), exclusive access to document his historic 22nd and final NBA season. This all-access documentary honors the accomplishments of an eight-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist while exploring the complex emotions of a farewell season unlike any other and the life transition that lies at its end.
"Our mission is to partner with players through storytelling," said Christina Norman, Head of Content at THINK450. "It was our honor to help the longest-tenured member in our history tell his story of dedication and triumph." Lineage CEO Anthony Rodriguez added, "Most of the world knows Vince Carter for his highlight-reel dunks - but as Legacy reveals, the man himself and his contributions to the game encompass far more than a few iconic moments."
"Our continued partnership with Lineage has allowed us to bring inspiring stories from beyond the court to fans nationwide, and Legacy is no different," said Screen Media in a statement. "We're thrilled to be able to share this comprehensive record of Vince Carter's career."
Vince Carter: Legacy is directed by Justin Polk and produced by Katie Zakula, Laurie Berger, and Blake Armstrong. Lineage and THINK450 served as Executive Producers.
The deal was negotiated by Seth Needle, EVP of Global Acquisitions and Co-Productions, on behalf of Screen Media, with Burton Chawla, Kyle Komen and Anthony Rodriguez of Lineage on behalf of the NBPA.
Vince Carter: Legacy joins a growing list of basketball-themed original programming at Crackle. The network recently premiered six-episode docuseries, Promiseland, chronicling the rise of Memphis Grizzlies star and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant. Previously, the network premiered On Point, a docuseries that follows top-ranked college basketball players Romeo Langford, Scottie Lewis, and Emmitt Williams as they compete in summer AAU season, and Anything is Possible: The Serge Ibaka Story, a documentary about the journey of LA Clippers player Serge Ibaka from the cement courts of The Republic of Congo to the NBA.
ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns Crackle Plus, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, Chicken Soup for the Soul Unscripted, APlus.com and Halcyon Television. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.
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