Interpublic Group, LeBron James’ SpringHill, Launch Joint Venture

James Caan earned his stripes in the entertainment industry decades ago, starring in one of the most iconic film franchises — "The Godfather."  He portrayed Sonny Corleone, the eldest son of mafia don Vito Corleone, played by Marlon Brando, who was known as much for his fiery temper as he was for his violent, bullet-ridden death scene in the classic 1972 Francis Ford Coppola movie. But Caan's work with Coppola, and in front of the camera, began years before.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorJames Rooke, a cable-industry veteran, has been named president of Comcast Advertising, the ad-sales arm of Comcast Corp. He will replace longtime chief Marcien Jenckes, who has taken a new role overseeing a new streaming joint venture for Comcast and Charter Communications.In his new role, Rooke will oversee operations of ad-sales and ad-tech businesses of Effectv, FreeWheel and AudienceXpress.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorFans of the Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” which chronicles the rise of con artist Anna Sorokin, may have noticed an intriguing guest star: Cisco phones are used prominently in at least one episode. If advertising giant Interpublic Group has its way, more advertisers are likely to get those sorts of cameos.Two companies under Interpublic’s umbrella — the Rogers & Cowan PMK entertainment-marketing operations and the large Mediabrands media-buying unit — are teaming up to launch a new analysis-and-database product that helps advertisers determine what movies, TV programs and streaming series will serve as a good fit for in-show product placement.

Kevin Love and Kate Bock said ‘I do’ in New York, and they had some very famous guests in attendance.

Adele and Rich Paul stepped out in style! Over the weekend, the GRAMMY-winning singer and the sports manager attended Kevin Love and Kate Bock’s lavish wedding in NYC -- and there's pictures to prove it.   On Tuesday, LeBron James shared a group shot featuring him, the couple and his wife, Savannah James, standing outside of the wedding venue.

GameCube title Metroid Prime making its way to Switch have yet again started circulating. This most recent claim comes from VentureBeat journalist Jeff Grubb, who disclosed the information via Giant Bomb’s Game Mess Morning Show. He stated that he had been told “pretty definitively” that a remastered version of the game would be coming to Switch later this year, and would be one of Nintendo’s flagship holiday releases for 2022.He explains that he’d heard something “was in the works” in the past.

Add Naomi Osaka’s new company to the Marketing Blunders Hall of Fame.

new media company, Hana Kuma. The sporting superstar, who was born in Japan, told the New York Times Tuesday that hana kuma means “flower bear” in Japanese — but Twitter users quickly noted it has a far more explicit meaning in Swahili, where it translates to “woman without a vagina.”The lost-in-translation controversy began trending on Twitter in multiple African countries, with dozens of users urging Osaka, 24, to change the name of the company, which she founded in partnership with NBA legend LeBron James, 37. “Naomi Osaka has partnered with LeBron James to start a media company called Hana Kuma.

Naomi Osaka continues testing the waters outside the sports industry. The four-time Grand Slam champion is partnering with NBA icon LeBron James to launch Hanna Kuma, a media company founded to amplify cultures and social issues.

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Naomi Osaka and LeBron James are teaming up for an exciting new venture! On Tuesday, the 24-year-old tennis champion announced the launch of her full-service media company, Hana Kuma, a platform to tell stories about different cultures, social issues and more.«I've built my career taking a different approach than those around me,» she wrote in an Instagram announcement. «And because my journey has been so different it's opened my eyes to all the incredible stories out there that aren't getting told. Stories that are global, about a variety of cultures and points of view, about important social issues.»«That's why I'm launching Hana Kuma, a media platform focused on stories that are culturally specific but universal,» she added of her work with business partner Stuart Duguid. «Stories that are bold and playful like me.»Writing that she's «incredibly proud» to build a business that is a «true reflection» of herself, the athlete also shared her excitement for her partnership with James and Maverick Carter’s Springhill Company.«I couldn't think of a better partner than @kingjames to do this,» she added.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic“King James,” a new dramedy at the Mark Taper Forum, is a two-hander about a love triangle of sorts. The unseen third point in this romance, per the title: basketball legend LeBron James, whose on-again, off-again status as a hometown hero with the Cleveland Cavaliers over a period of 12 years is the catalyst and constant trigger for a friendship between a couple of true believers in Northeast Ohio.

Slam dunk love story! LeBron James and his wife, Savannah James, are relationship goals — and started out as high school sweethearts.

LeBron James wants to roll the dice and take his talents to Las Vegas.

Ohio school established by NBA superstar LeBron James’ foundation ended in a 17-year-old boy being beaten to death, police say. Ethan Liming had been driving around Akron with two friends on the evening of 2 June firing the SplatRBall Water Bead Blaster at “objects possibly unsuspecting people,” when the group pulled into the parking lot of James’ I Promise School at around 10. 40pm.

Lebron James has the Golden State Warriors on his mind. A trailer of HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted has sports fans talking after the baller was asked who he would want to play with from the remaining teams left standing in the NBA playoffs. “Golden State,” he answered with no hesitation.We will have to see if he shed more insight into why he chose Golden State but he did say “I would love to get into a p*****g match with Draymond [Green].” “I love when someone cusses me out,” he added.It’s not the first time the 37-year-old has shown interest in the Warriors on The Shop.

LeBron James has big plans for his hometown of Akron, Ohio. On Tuesday, the LeBron James Family Foundation announced plans to open up the I Promise HealthQuarters, a multimillion-dollar facility that will offer medical, dental and optometry services, as well as physical and recreational activities to students from James' I Promise School and the local community. «It takes a village to help raise a kid and make a true difference! Love my kids and their families!» the Los Angeles Lakers forward tweeted, as he shared news about the announcement. The community health and wellness center is set to open in 2023 and will be within walking distance from the I Promise School and across from House Three Thirty, a hub that helps with job training and financial literacy.

LeBron James issued a public call on Twitter demanding that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris more actively work toward securing the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from her detainment in Russia. Mr Griner was detained in Russia in February on allegations that she was bringing marijuana through a Moscow-area airport. The Phoenix Mercury player competed in European leagues during the WNBA offseason, with that being the reason for her travel to Russia.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterJimmy Kimmel and Brent Montgomery’s media company Wheelhouse has taken a stake in former Food Network president Courtney White’s new food and lifestyle-focused production company Butternut Films, which will now be renamed Butternut under the joint venture.As president of Butternut, which was launched when White exited Food Network this spring, White will collaborate with Wheelhouse leadership and across all Wheelhouse divisions — including Wheelhouse Entertainment, marketing arm Wheelhouse Labs, digital division Wheelhouse DNA, and investment department Wheelhouse 360 — “leveraging her deep production and creative expertise in culinary, home, design and lifestyle programming, and her wide-ranging relationships with talent and brands,” per Wheelhouse. Butternut is focused on creating original content for all platforms, “working with a range of established, emerging and home-grown talent.”White and her Butternut team will continue to work out of a clapboard barn on her family’s Southport, Conn., fresh-cut flower farm, Butternut Farm, as well as Wheelhouse’s New York and Los Angeles headquarters, and have full access to Wheelhouse’s large-scale campus in Stamford, Conn., dubbed “The Village.”The Wheelhouse-Butternut joint venture was brokered by Wheelhouse chief strategy officer Ed Simpson.“The single, common element across all successful lifestyle content is passion — talent must project it, creators must harness it, audiences must feel it,” White said.