Stephen Curry partnering with PressPlay to grow his brand in China
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Stephen Curry is known for his “Splash Brothers” nickname with teammate Klay Thompson. His elite shooting, acrobatic layups and back-to-back NBA MVP seasons make him one of the most talented players ever to dribble a ball. But what most fans might not know is the splashes he is making off the court in the tech space.
Curry is now the face of PressPlay, a startup digital media company out of the Silicon Valley-area. The company will release exclusive videos of the electric-shooting Curry just in time for the NBA season in October.
With PressPlay, Curry will be able to access China’s audience of 620 million smartphone users and 641 million digital viewers. Viewers will be able to follow Curry through his training, family time and other behind-the-scenes footage. Curry will also answer questions from fans via a pre-recorded live stream.
“With the ubiquity of mobile devices and social media, today’s biggest celebrities are expected to engage with their fans worldwide, yet traversing geographical borders and cultural differences is a challenge,” Samuel Pearton, CEO and co-founder of PressPlay, said in a statement. “With PressPlay, Steph will have the power to connect directly with his fans in China. Our team is working closely with Steph in developing the type of engaging content his fans are clamoring for.”
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Cameras began following Curry last season during the Warrior’s playoff run that ended in an NBA Finals lost to the Cavaliers. The cameras will continue to travel with Curry as he makes his trip to China to push the Under Armour brand in mid-September.
“He’s going to own his own content and choose what he wants shown,” said Pearton. “We are going to provide very intimate content as Steph doesn’t need to do anything but be himself.”
Curry’s involvement does not come as a surprise for the company. He has been a private partner with PressPlay for some time, but reaching his fans across the world—that is a different story.
“I’m very excited to have the chance to interact with my Chinese fans in a more meaningful way,” Curry said in a statement. “My fans mean a great deal to me and PressPlay will help me reach them in ways I never thought possible.”
Curry joins a long line of superstar athletes that have dipped their toes in the tech waters. Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic each have unique tech ventures or funds that they have invested in.
Curry is not a stranger to the tech space though. He has been cashing in with other technology startups as well. He is the co-founder of Slyce, a social media network, and CoachUp, a parent-focused site designed for finding private coaches for their kids. And of course “StephMoji,” the emoji-style character texting keyboard.
Curry may be looking forward to connecting with his fans in China, but the fans themselves are even more on edge.
“We are very excited about what PressPlay is doing in China and think that Stephen Curry will be a great partner,” Kent Ho, executive director of Sing Tao News Corporation, said in a statement. “From one media company to another, we admire PressPlay’s trailblazing approach to how celebrities can more meaningfully engage with their fans with top caliber content.”
Wherever he is, Steph Curry is creating waves. Being the most popular jersey-selling athlete in the NBA and the most searched name on the Chinese search engine, Baidu, is a nice touch, but connecting with one of the most passionate NBA fan bases in the world is the icing on the cake.
