On Saturday we did a little summary piece that touched on the methods vs. the message; how in a digital first era someone like Greta Thurnburg can withstand the mocking voices to deliver a powerful and resounding impact about climate change because she and other digital natives understand how to use every means possible to build community.
On Monday, we saw another vital example of method vs. message; California Governor Gavin Newsom signing Bill SB206, which would prohibit the NCAA from barring a university from competition if its athletes are compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness” beginning in 2023. While that next formal step in the debate over athlete’s rights and likeness and compensation was the message, it was the means that was also very intriguing.
It was not in the State House or in a stadium or arena or theater or even a private home, it was part of HBO’s “The Shop,” their issues based sit-down in a barbershop co-created by LeBron James and SpringHill Entertainment CEO Maverick Carter. It wasn’t a live show, it was a taping, with the segment released wide to the media as the official announcement came out.
Now athletes breaking news on a platform is not new; Tiger Woods and Roger Clemens were some of the early adopters before social as even en vogue; and outlets like The Players Tribune have been a voice for revealing news ranging from Kevin Love talking about issues with mental health to Kobe Bryant’s famous retirement Haiku. This summer we saw Kevin Durant use his digital-first platform “The Boardroom” to break his move to the Nets on its Instagram page, at a self-directed time that drove great traffic and awareness to the site, especially for casual fans who may not have been aware of the show, which airs on ESPN +. We have also seen scores of athletes reveal news about themselves on content platforms big and small, but Monday’s news on “The Shop” was another next step in the athlete news platform.
The story was not about James as host, or any of his usual guests. It wasn’t about salaries or race issues as we have seen before. It was about a growing issue for image control and the dollars that go with it; but it was historic in the political and financial world as much, if not more, than it was in the sports business world. Here was a sitting Governor, signing a bill with far reaching implications nationally, in a very unusual space.
What does that say about the way news is being delivered today? 
Lots. For one, it shows the continued foresight of James and Carter and their team to use their platform for social good and for breaking news. It is a long way from the first foray into the space with “The Decision,” the live ESPN show in which James announced his move to the Miami Heat. Here is a great example of platform growth and strategy that becomes a quick best practice. For Governor Newsom and the supporters of the bill, it was a disruptive way to get the news out and garner even more buzz. Yes the story gets ample airtime as the next step in this battle, but doing it with James and his other guest, including WNBA star Diana Taurasi, it put Newsom in a new class of cool and legitimacy with an audience that would have noticed, but now really took notice. If James shows up at the State House for the signing, great. But for James and his team to put the storytelling together on his platform shows huge value and impact for such a still historic event.
Sports Business Daily had a solid recap of the story, with support from HBO, whose input also again found a way to gain awareness for what they are doing in the programming world (especially given all the media attribution for the story that has followed).
Newsom officially signed SB 206 while filming an episode of HBO’s “The Shop” with Lakers F LeBron James and SpringHill Entertainment CEO Maverick Carter. James said, “We’ve created this platform to be able to have moments like this, where we’ve got the governor of California signing a bill to allow athletes in college (to be compensated).” Carter said the country was “built on the principle of capitalism” where someone should be “compensated” for their play… Newsom said he “got a few calls from” NCAA President Mark Emmert “trying to make sure I don’t use this pen” to sign the bill into law. Newsom: “They’re a little panicked because they recognize they’re vulnerable. People are hitting this, not just in California but all across the country, because the gig’s up.” Mercury G Diana Taurasi, also appearing on the episode, said, “You’re challenging a system that’s been entrenched in money and power and a certain way of thinking for a long time … so the minute you challenge that, you’re going to get a lot of blowback.” Newsom said the biggest opposition to the bill has been school presidents, as they have told him things like, “What the hell are you doing destroying college sports?” Newsom: “They all think this is the end of Title IX, that you’re destroying the purity of amateurism. Not once did they talk about the needs of these kids.” Carter asked Newsom, “Will they even listen to you?” Newsom: “They’re going to after I sign this.” Newsom said this was not “checkmate” for the NCAA, but “this is a major problem for the NCAA” (“The Shop,” HBO, 9/30).
While the short term impact of the use of “The Shop” to break news is impressive, the precedent set with the success is even more intriguing. Will we see a Presidential candidate choose to use an athlete-driven platform to announce an agenda and drive viewer interest? While there are no shortage of intriguing guests on “The Shop” before, who is now ringing the bell to try and gain more social; relevancy and buzz, not just on this show (which by the way is still behind the HBO paywall when it airs) but on other large scale platforms that are athlete first driven.
It won’t work for everyone, and we have seen how many athlete as content creators are now out there filling up our phones and second screens, but for the right message, at the right time, with the right voice, the evolution of news dissemination took another step today, one that many were not expecting, but one that is worth watching, pun intended.
