NBA's Stephen Curry lands TV, film deal with Sony Pictures

[April 24, 2018]   LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - NBA star Stephen Curry has signed a multi-year film and television deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Hollywood studio said on Monday, as the Golden State Warriors player makes a play to be the latest athlete to break into entertainment.

The development and production deal will focus on family, faith and sports-themed projects, and will "extend to opportunities in partnerships, electronics, gaming and virtual reality," the Sony-owned studio said in a statement.

"We're thrilled to work alongside Steph to bring his positive, affirming brand to create content in the scripted and non-scripted television landscape," Chris Parnell, co-president of the studio's TV division, said in a statement.

"He's tapping into his drive and creative energy on the court to expand to horizons off the court and we're honored to be a part of it," Parnell added.

Neither the financial terms nor the length of the agreement were disclosed.

Curry, 30, is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and one of the league's most marketable stars on one of its best teams. He earned an estimated $35 million in endorsements last year with JPMorgan Chase and Under Armour among his deals, according to Forbes.

"I've been blessed to have this platform and I want to use it to affect the world positively," Curry said in a statement. "Partnering with Sony to share inspiring content with a global audience was a foregone conclusion."

Curry's production company will be called Unanimous Media. He was voted the NBA's first unanimous MVP in 2016.

Curry follows the likes of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James into Hollywood. James' SpringHill Entertainment is most active in television, producing NBC game show "The Wall" and former Starz comedy series "Survivor's Remorse."

James also has scripted series in development with Netflix and HBO.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Tom Brown)

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.