Authentic Brands Group, owner of the Ali name rights, made the series with Amazon MGM Studios, Outlier Society and Roc Nation. Jaalen Best plays Ali, Ben Watkins is showrunner and Lonnie Ali is executive producer. Release is global from Nov. 4.
Authentic Brands Group, the New York licensing company behind Reebok and Champion, is turning one of its most valuable sports names into must-watch streaming content. The Greatest, an eight-part drama on Muhammad Ali co-produced by its in-house studio, lands on Prime Video on Nov. 4, with every episode going live at once in more than 240 markets, Europe included.
It is the first scripted series on Ali made with his estate’s approval. Authentic Studios produced it with Amazon MGM Studios, joined by partners including Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Roc Nation and Polygram Entertainment. Creator Ben Watkins is showrunner and directs the opening two episodes, while Lonnie Ali, the boxer’s widow, holds an executive producer credit.
Newcomer Jaalen Best plays Ali. Michael Ealy plays Malcolm X and Giovanni Ribisi takes the role of trainer Angelo Dundee, with Omari Hardwick as Ali’s father. The story follows Cassius Clay from Louisville through the sporting, family and political fights that turned him into Ali, including episodes the public never saw.
From licensing to streaming
Authentic, founded in 2010 by Jamie Salter, doesn’t design or sell product. It owns brand rights and licenses them to partners, with a portfolio that also includes Shaquille O’Neal, Elvis Presley and Ali. Ali’s name already appears on collections with Champion and surf label RVCA. Authentic executives, including Entertainment CEO Corey Salter and Media and Entertainment President Marc Rosen, are among the series’ executive producers. Authentic Studios previously produced the Beckham documentary and EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.
In the US, the series arrives three weeks before Thanksgiving on Nov. 26 and the Black Friday weekend that opens the holiday shopping season.
