NBA superstar LeBron James and tennis star Naomi Osaka have joined forces to explore how professional athletes utilize their days away from competing in their home cities. James’ Uninterrupted platform and Osaka’s Hana Kuma production company as well as UltraBoom Media, best known for “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” are collaborating on the bi-weekly project.
According to Variety, the project, entitled “Off Day,” released its first episode on July 16, that episode showcases Osaka taking the crew with her on a guided tour of her native Tokyo, Japan. As is appropriate given the gravitas of both James and Osaka, the guest list is filled with stars from the MLB, NBA, and the WTA.
Toronto Blue Jays superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Houston Rockets franchise centerpiece Alperen Şengün, and the world’s number one tennis player on the women’s circuit, Aryna Sabalenka, will be featured in subsequent episodes, with the former pair touring their native cities of Toronto and Istanbul, while Sabalenka, who is Belarusian, tours New York City.
Per Variety‘s report, the series is the first-of-its-kind, the show, which features high profile athletes traveling in various world cities, functions as a kind of travelog, based on its partnership with The Infatuation, Chase Travel, and Chase Sapphire as well as comments from UltraBoom co-founder Erik Osterholm in a press release.
“’Off Day’ sits at the intersection of two of our most celebrated universal languages, food and sports. Two things that transcend borders, languages, and cultures. The show reflects the kind of storytelling we set out to create when launching UltraBoom Media, leaning into our diverse global production and creative experience,” Osterholm said.
He continued, “We love that ‘Off Day’ hands the storytelling baton to the athletes, immersing us in their POV and is designed for a new world of entertainment and audience engagement. ‘Off Day’ is a show, but it’s also a limitless brand that we’re excited to share with the world.”
Osaka revealed she felt honored to be the featured athlete for the debut episode.
“As both an executive producer and someone featured in the first episode, ‘Off Day’ is really special to me. We created Hana Kuma to tell layered, honest stories like this — ones that go beyond the game and show the person. I’m proud to kick it off and to collaborate with Uninterrupted and UBM, who share our vision of showing athletes in a fuller, more human light,” Osaka said.
The project is the second collaboration between James’ Uninterrupted and Osaka’s Hana Kuma production company, following “The Second Set,” a documentary that followed Osaka as she prepared to make her return to tennis after the birth of her first child. That film, produced by Nike, will forgo a premiere on more established streaming networks and will instead come to Tubi in August.
Like Osaka’s documentary, Uninterrupted’s Vice President Elyse Kellogg noted in her comments that the series is a reflection of the company’s “commitment to creative storytelling from the athlete’s point of view by giving fans a deeper look into the culture and lifestyle of their favorite athletes. It also marks a broader effort to grow our storytelling and distribution through strategic partnerships — in ways that feel personal and relatable.”
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