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GLOBETROTTERS SCORE TV DEAL: ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ producer pacts with franchise for various small-screen programming.
*Cue “Sweet Georgia Brown.” The Harlem Globetrotters are about to saturate the small screen after signing a deal with “Hell’s Kitchen” producer A. Smith & Co. that covers a wide range of TV programming, including scripted, documentary, live events and animation.
The TV deal is one of the first major moves by Kurt Schneider, the former Fox Sports Net and WWE exec who was tapped CEO of the Globetrotters in May. It also comes three years after the team was bought by the Shamrock Group, the investment entity founded by Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold, reports Daily Variety.
“Our goal is to evolve the Globetrotters into a dynamic, unique experiential entertainment property,” Schneider said, adding that he believes A. Smith & Co. has the ability to make that happen “on a global basis.”
The Harlem Globetrotter franchise just marked its 81st year as one of the world’s most recognizable exhibition basketball teams, using humor and athleticism to entertain audiences. The franchise was founded in Chicago – not Harlem – by Abe Saperstein, who chose the name Harlem so that fans instantly knew the team members were African American.
While the Globetrotters haven’t had much of a TV presence as of late, the team was a huge phenomenon on the small screen during the 1970s, when it was owned by Metromedia. One of its biggest breakthroughs was the Hanna-Barbera animated series “Harlem Globetrotters,” which aired on CBS from 1970-73. It was one of the first cartoons to feature black male characters.
The Globetrotters plan to embark on a 2008 world tour under the banner “Magic as Ever.”
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