Rob Duffy
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Uninterrupted Canada and Par-Lay Content Announce Production of PAR-LAY – THE FRED VANVLEET STORY – An Original Documentary for TSN
– Toronto Raptors point guard and UNINTERRUPTED Canada partner to chronicle his extraordinary journey from the streets of Rockford, Illinois and undrafted free agent to NBA Champion –
TORONTO (February 24, 2021) – Athlete empowerment brand UNINTERRUPTED Canada and Par-Lay Content, together with TSN, announced today the production of PAR-LAY – THE FRED VANVLEET STORY, an original documentary profiling the inspiring story of the Toronto Raptors star. Set to debut in the fall of 2021, this feature biopic will chart VanVleet’s rise to prominence as a basketball star, and the unwavering belief in himself as he blazes his own unique path to becoming an NBA Champion. Premiering on TSN later this year, the film includes never-before-seen footage of VanVleet’s 2020 off-season and the decision process behind signing the largest contract ever for an undrafted free agent.
“It’s no secret that putting in the time, working on my craft and believing in myself each step of the way has led me to where I am today, but with this film, we want to inspire that same confidence in everyone,” said VanVleet. “No matter where you’re coming from, or where you’re going, you have a gift. Make it count.”
“Fred’s journey is absolutely remarkable,” said Vinay Virmani, Producer and Chief Content Officer of UNINTERRUPTED Canada. “This film will take audiences beyond Fred’s basketball success and pays homage to the unique person, father and entrepreneur that he is, in the hope that it inspires others to always believe in themselves.”
“We’re thrilled to work with Fred VanVleet and UNINTERRUPTED Canada to bring this incredible story to a national audience,” said Nathalie Cook, Vice-President, TSN & RDS. “Champions live on TSN, and together we witnessed Fred achieve greatness on the sport’s biggest stage. We’re proud to be the home of this documentary, and to connect basketball fans on a deeper level with such a beloved player.”
The documentary will look back at VanVleet’s time growing up in Rockford, Illinois, the heartbreaking challenges he faced avoiding the streets and his path to becoming a nationally ranked NCAA recruit. Viewers will follow his success at Wichita State, the gutting disappointment of not being drafted and his fight to go from the G League to one of the NBA’s top point guards.
In addition to holding the rights to the film’s worldwide premiere on TSN, Bell Media serves as domestic distributor in Canada for PAR-LAY – THE FRED VANVLEET STORY. The much sought-after international rights will be put to market later this year.
“It’s no secret that putting in the time, working on my craft and believing in myself each step of the way has led me to where I am today, but with this film, we want to inspire that same confidence in everyone,” said VanVleet. “No matter where you’re coming from, or where you’re going, you have a gift. Make it count.”
“Fred’s journey is absolutely remarkable,” said Vinay Virmani, Producer and Chief Content Officer of UNINTERRUPTED Canada. “This film will take audiences beyond Fred’s basketball success and pays homage to the unique person, father and entrepreneur that he is, in the hope that it inspires others to always believe in themselves.”
“We’re thrilled to work with Fred VanVleet and UNINTERRUPTED Canada to bring this incredible story to a national audience,” said Nathalie Cook, Vice-President, TSN & RDS. “Champions live on TSN, and together we witnessed Fred achieve greatness on the sport’s biggest stage. We’re proud to be the home of this documentary, and to connect basketball fans on a deeper level with such a beloved player.”
The documentary will look back at VanVleet’s time growing up in Rockford, Illinois, the heartbreaking challenges he faced avoiding the streets and his path to becoming a nationally ranked NCAA recruit. Viewers will follow his success at Wichita State, the gutting disappointment of not being drafted and his fight to go from the G League to one of the NBA’s top point guards.
In addition to holding the rights to the film’s worldwide premiere on TSN, Bell Media serves as domestic distributor in Canada for PAR-LAY – THE FRED VANVLEET STORY. The much sought-after international rights will be put to market later this year.About UNINTERRUPTED Canada:
UNINTERRUPTED Canada, co-led by CEO Scott Moore and Chief Content Officer Vinay Virmani, in partnership with Drake, is the first international expansion of the athlete empowerment brand, UNINTERRUPTED, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. The company is built upon the radical idea that all athletes should have a platform to express themselves without intermediaries. From this premise, a mission was born: to empower athletes from all walks of life to communicate in an unimpeded way and to be More Than an Athlete. UNINTERRUPTED is upending the world of sports media by working with athletes to tell unique, human stories from their point of view. Through content, products, events, partnerships and educational opportunities, UNINTERRUPTED is changing the way athletes engage with the public and empowering them to be known and valued for more than the sport they play.
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About Par-Lay Content:
Par-Lay Content is the creative arm of Par-Lay Sports & Entertainment, a talent management company which launched in 2021, and is in development on a slate of TV, film and new media projects. Par-Lay Content’s mission is to produce impactful subject matter intended to empower the voice and perspective of its clients by telling their stories across the constantly changing content landscape — no matter the format, genre, medium or distribution platform. Par-Lay Content was founded by Christian Dawkins, and helmed by co-Heads of Content, Trace Sheehan and Sonya Vaughn.
About TSN:
TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and provides world-class content across its industry-leading platforms including five national television feeds, TSN Direct, TSN.ca, and TSN Radio stations across the country. With a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers more championship events than any broadcaster in the country. The network’s deep and diverse roster of live sports programming includes the Grey Cup, IIHF World Junior Championship, Spengler Cup, Hockey Canada events, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Season of Champions Curling, FIFA World Cup™, UEFA EURO, Concacaf Champions League, MLB, Golf’s Majors, NASCAR, F1, Grand Slam Tennis, UFC, NCAA March Madness, and Skate Canada events. TSN comes from Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. More information about TSN is available at TSN.ca.
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