On Tuesday (Sept. 1), Vice announced the launch of its new sports video destination portal, The Clubhouse, which will feature first-person interviews with today's hottest athletes to get an in-depth look at their lives outside of their athletic persona. And the media company has tapped New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony as a founding partner.
The media company is looking to expand their professional sports coverage by developing enriching and engaging original content that keeps viewers looking for more. Since June, Vice Sports has been publishing content involving sports fanatics, historic moments, and more. The Clubhouse will allow athletes to deliver personal accounts of their lives, by opening up about things they might not usually discuss in typical interviews, like their favorite foods and vacation spots. The sports channel will feature a variety of video series hosted by high-profile athletes like Melo, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, and more.
"If you look at the world of sports coverage and video, one thing you almost never see is athletes doing the actual storytelling - so for us, this was a no-brainer," said Vice Sports publisher Will Kiersky. "The Clubhouse will be a platform where fans can connect more closely with some of the biggest stars in sports. Melo and Gronk are fantastic athletes to start this project off with, and we're excited to keep expanding our roster."
"I've been a fan of Vice for a long time," he said. "Their ability to find incredible stories and tell them in the most captivating way is inspiring. When I first had the idea to create The Clubhouse, Vice was my first choice of partner to tell the stories that interest, form and drive the greatest and most engaging athletes."
The 31-year-old power forward stars in a series called Stay Melo, where Vice follows him as he visits different countries, interacts with new people, and explores different activities that interest him. In the initial episode, Melo embarks on a trip to Cuba to venture into the world of street sports. He sought out information about the rise of soccer in a country that's predominantly engulfed in baseball. Melo couldn't end his trip there without getting a freshly rolled Cuban cigar.
Vice is looking to draw in more athletes to partner with in the future. They plan to announce which athletes they've collaborated with in the upcoming months.
