Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), the parent company of more than 40 global brands including Sports Illustrated, Reebok, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, Spyder, Volcom, Tretorn, Prince and Airwalk to name a few, and currently in the process of acquiring Boardriders, has announced the formation of “Authentic Studios;” a full-service production studio designed to develop and produce a wide range of film/TV and commercial content from Authentic’s extensive portfolio. Authentic Studios will be based in Beverly Hills, where Authentic recently expanded its presence with a newly constructed 1,400 sqm West Coast headquarters.
Authentic Studios was formed as part of the rapid expansion of the company’s entertainment division, which includes brands such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham and Sports Illustrated. With Authentic Studios, the company can maximize the value of its extensive brand portfolio through comprehensive content, merchandising and experiences. Authentic Studios currently includes four labels – Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends, David Beckham’s Studio 99, Sports Illustrated Studios and Authentic Productions.
Colin Smeeton will serve as president of Authentic Studios. He joined Authentic more than seven years ago after being among the key executives who helped build Shaquille O’Neal’s personal brand expansion, strategic partnerships and new business ventures. He has more than 20 years of experience in film, television and documentaries. Most recently, Smeeton was executive producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary series SHAQ for HBO and has produced several projects for Lionsgate, ABC, ESPN, TNT and Netflix.
British media executive Nicola Howson, who co-founded Studio 99 with Beckham and David Gardner, will continue to run the company from Authentic’s London office, and Jersey Legends co-founder Mike Parris will continue to run day-to-day operations and serve as executive producer of content alongside Smeeton.
