Religion of Sports

Religion of Sports is a sports media production company that develops and produces original content, including documentary series, feature films, and podcasts. The company was founded in 2017 by filmmaker Gotham Chopra, along with decorated NFL athletes Tom Brady and Michael Strahan. Chopra's background as a filmmaker and son of author Deepak Chopra, combined with Brady's and Strahan's legendary athletic careers, created a unique foundation for exploring sports stories through a lens of human potential and spirituality. The initial idea stemmed from a six-part documentary series in 2016, which evolved into the full-fledged media company the following year.

The company's business model centers on producing premium, non-fiction narrative content in collaboration with elite athletes. This content is then distributed through major streaming platforms and broadcast partners, including Netflix, ESPN, Apple TV+, and Showtime. Revenue is generated through these content partnerships and the creation of intellectual property. The company has successfully raised significant capital to fuel its expansion, including a $50 million Series B funding round in 2022 led by Shamrock Capital. This investment was aimed at developing new IP, expanding its creator network, and pursuing strategic global partnerships.

Religion of Sports produces a wide range of content that aims to uncover why sports matter beyond the final score. The company has become known for its Emmy Award-winning work on projects like "Man in the Arena: Tom Brady," "Tom vs. Time," and "Greatness Code." Other notable productions feature celebrated athletes such as Simone Biles in "Simone vs. Herself," Conor McGregor in "McGregor Forever," and Serena Williams in "In the Arena: Serena Williams." The company’s approach is to build trust with athletes to tell their stories with sensitivity and depth. While its core focus has been sports, the company plans to expand into other categories like entertainment, business, and music. In 2023, Religion of Sports made a strategic acquisition of the UK-based studio Jiva Maya to expand its global reach.

Keywords: sports media, documentary production, film production, podcasting, content creation, athlete storytelling, Tom Brady, Michael Strahan, Gotham Chopra, sports documentary, non-fiction content, streaming content, media partnerships, sports entertainment, Emmy Award winner, content IP, digital media, Man in the Arena, Greatness Code, athlete collaboration