The Golden State Warriors are building out their brand with the announcement of a new division called Golden State Entertainment.
With David Kelly, the team’s top legal executive, at its helm, GSE will produce music, host Bay Area events, and create licensed documentary content — including films covering the stories of two former NBA players (the deals are reportedly still being finalized).
The concept of GSE has been a few years in the making, but it came to the forefront following the success of “The Last Dance.” The documentary, which followed Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls, averaged 6.1 million viewers in the first two episodes.
- “The Last Dance” was a 10-part series originally released on ESPN, then distributed through Netflix.
- Kelly expressed that GSE will look to license its content to streaming platforms.
“We’re not just a sports team,” Kelly said. “So, it’s incumbent upon us to flush out what that means.” He added that majority owner Joe Lacob also wants the Warriors to be a media and technology organization.
Warriors’ World
While the Warriors have a $5.6 billion valuation — the second-most valuable NBA team behind the New York Knicks — the franchise won’t only focus on itself.
“We want to tell some Warriors stories, and we think we’re well-positioned to be able to tell those stories, but we’re not limiting ourselves to Warriors stories,” Kelly said.
Two-time MVP Steph Curry won’t be featured in GSE’s content until he retires due to language in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
