U.S. Army to Be Featured on Season Two of Animated Series THE LEBRONS

By: Feb. 18, 2013
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LeBron James through his Production Company Spring Hill Productions and Believe Entertainment Group (BE) today announced that season two of the breakout, animated series The LeBrons will launch in the second quarter with the U.S. Army as an anchor partner.

This season will take a technological leap forward, using computer-generated animation to create a more realistic, three-dimensional world. Co-executive produced by LeBron James, MaveRick Carter and Believe Entertainment Group Co-Founders Dan Goodman and William H. Masterson III, season two of The LeBrons will live exclusively on Microsoft's consumer platforms. Audiences worldwide will be able to watch the series on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment console with Xbox LIVE as well as on their PC mobile device through syndication on MSN, with both serving as the primary distribution partners.

The first season of The LeBrons was one of the biggest original digital series to date, garnering over 50 million total episode views across the web, at the same time activating millions of fans on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. The popular family entertainment show provides positive messages to today's youth and young adults about a variety of real-life topics including family, teamwork, giving back to the community, staying in school, and more, all done in an edgy, fresh and relatable way.

"We're excited to expand The LeBrons' audience and partnerships and to continue our work with this series that has not only been successful, but has had such a positive impact overall," said MaveRick Carter, business manager for LeBron James and chief executive officer, LRMR.

As an anchor partner for the series, the U.S. Army will be seamlessly integrated into the creative experience for season two through a new character named Bryce, who will exemplify some of the Army's core values of leadership, education and training in an authentic and relatable way.

"We feel very fortunate to have the Army this year as an anchor partner," said Dan Goodman and William H. Masterson III, co-founders, Believe Entertainment Group. "The series is designed to provide positive messages to today's young adults and empower them to live up to their potential. It's a great strategic fit with the Army's message and sensibilities."

The LeBrons' move to Xbox LIVE will connect the popular series with the platform's diverse customer-base of over 46 million subscribers, and take advantage of cross-platform opportunities to reach fans and viewers across the network.

"Partnering with a tent-pole, celebrity-driven original series like The LeBrons is a great way for Microsoft to work with the industry to bring entertainment into a new era," said Ross Honey, general manager of Xbox Adverting. "Through our brand partners we are defining new ways to bring unique content to the Xbox LIVE Community that can be enjoyed by every member of the family."

About LeBron James and Spring Hill Productions

LeBron James is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of his generation. James' extraordinary basketball skills and dedication to the game have won him the admiration of fans from across the globe, and have made him an international icon. In 2010-11, James joined the Miami Heat where he led the team to the Eastern Conference Championship and the NBA Finals. In the 2011-2012 season, LeBron James had a historic year, winning his third league MVP award, NBA Finals MVP, and his first NBA Championship. James Capped his unprecedented season by leading the United States to a gold medal at the summer Olympics in London. He had previously served as co-captain of Team USA's gold medal run at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

James is also involved in various charitable efforts, namely through the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF). Founded by James in 2004, the program strives to empower children and single-parent households through innovative programming and initiatives, strengthening the ties between family members and building hope through education, physical fitness and better health for those who are dealing with adversity. The LeBron James Family Foundation has donated over 4.5 million dollars to the Boys & Girls Club of America and various charitable organizations since the program's beginning.

In 2008, LeBron James and his business partner, MaveRick Carter created Spring Hill Productions and executive produced More Than a Game, a documentary which chronicles LeBron and his teammates at St.Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio and their seven-year journey which culminates with a national high school championship. More Than a Game debuted to critical acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2008 and was runner-up for the People's Choice award to the eventual Academy Award winner Slum Dog Millionaire. The film opened domestically in the fall October of 2009 and was nominated for a 2010 Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary.

About Believe Entertainment Group
Believe Entertainment Group is a New York-based digital entertainment company producing high profile content in partnership with elite talent and leading brands through a variety of digital outlets such as Web, mobile, VOD, and social media. Believe Entertainment Group recently announced plans for EpicEDM, a new, ongoing original content series featuring top electronic dance music (EDM) artists, festivals and clubs worldwide that will be the first studio originated content series designed specifically for the Twitter platform. In 2012 the company launched a new lifestyle and entertainment news series with Jennifer Lopez and Nuyorican Productions, TBE, distributed through and in partnership with AOL (cambio.com/tbe), and a new documentary-style show with legendary DJ/Producer Tiësto, In the Booth (youtube.com/tiesto). Believe Entertainment Group is known for its trailblazing 2011 launch of The LeBrons, an original, animated Web series with NBA champion and three-time league MVP LeBron James and brand partners HP, Intel, Bing, Sprite, and Nike, that premiered on YouTube (youtube.com/TheLeBrons) and was distributed through LeBron's Facebook, Twitter, and a dedicated section of LeBronJames.com, with syndication through Digital Broadcasting Group (DBG). Season two of The LeBrons is currently in production.

In 2010, Believe Entertainment Group formed an alliance with Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) working together on the hit digital series The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (The LXD), created by Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D) and distributed through Hulu; the company also expanded its partnership with MommyCast, the Webby Award winning multi-medium show for moms, and has plans for a major new relaunch to its mom's and women's platform in 2013.

Dan Goodman and William H. Masterson III, co-founders of Believe Entertainment Group, have launched previous digital entertainment projects including Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy (youtube.com/sethcomedy) with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and meinspace.com, an online effort to support Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno, as well as original short form content with the world famous improv troupe, The Second City among others. Their extensive experience in advertising and marketing has led to brand and distribution partnerships with well-known, respected brands such as AT&T, Burger King, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Nike, Priceline, Procter & Gamble and State Farm among others, as well as key distribution relationships delivering scalable audiences for their projects including YouTube, Google, Hulu, Digital Broadcasting Group, MySpace, FLO TV and more.



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