Athlete – and fan-owned media distribution and entertainment network adds media veteran Ghee (CNN, BET, EBONY, ESSENCE) through the acquisition of her experiential, content, and distribution agency.
DALLAS – January 20, 2026 – PlayersTV, the first media distribution company owned by athletes and their fans, today announced the acquisition of Expectant Media, a women-owned experiential, content, and distribution agency founded by veteran media executive Michele Ghee. Following the acquisition, Ghee has been appointed President of PlayersTV, effective immediately. A highly regarded media executive, cultural strategist, and entrepreneur who has led billions of dollars in transactions, Ghee brings decades of leadership experience to the athlete – and fan-owned entertainment network.
The acquisition marks a strategic expansion of PlayersTV’s athlete-owned media ecosystem, strengthening the company’s ability to develop, distribute, and activate premium content across digital, linear, and real-world experiences. Expectant Media brings experiential partnership capabilities and culturally resonant brand activations to PlayersTV, extending the network’s growing flywheel beyond screens and into live, community-driven moments with athletes and fans.
Michele Ghee, President of PlayersTV, said: “PlayersTV has built something fundamentally different by centering ownership, distribution, and community around athletes and their fans. This next chapter focuses on scaling the model, doubling down on our investment in original content, exploring additional technologies, and expanding our distribution channels. We’re connecting premium athlete-led lifestyle and culture content with real-world experiences that create lasting value for athletes, partners, and fans alike – and amplifying with technology and scaled distribution.”
At a time when women are disproportionately excluded from ownership and leaving the media industry, Ghee’s appointment reflects PlayersTV’s commitment to inclusive ownership and long-term value creation, bringing experienced operators into leadership roles with meaningful equity alignment.
“I believe in leading by example, and Michele has proven she is able to do just that. Her wealth of experience will help guide PlayersTV in its era of growth.” – NBA All-Star and PlayersTV investor Chris Paul
Deron Guidrey, Co-founder of PlayersTV, said: “Michele has been a trusted member of our Board for the past two years. We saw immense value in Michele and what she’s built across media, content, and activation to support our growing flywheel. She is a proven leader in advancing equity across content and distribution, and we look forward to the high-caliber impact she will have on our organization and with our growing stable of premium partners.”
PlayersTV’s flywheel brings together athlete-led content creation, owned distribution, and brand partnerships rooted in authenticity and community. With the addition of Expectant Media, the company is expanding that model into experiential activations. This creates opportunities for brands to engage audiences not only through content and distribution, but through hands-on, real-world experiences alongside athletes and fans.
Collin Castellaw, Co-founder of PlayersTV, said: “We’re excited to add Michele’s strong leadership to PlayersTV and expand our core offerings. It’s a natural progression of PlayersTV to offer real-life activations with brands that extend the value of our content and deepen the connection between athletes, fans, and partners. This amplifies our unique strengths in ownership, reach, authenticity, and impact.”
Under Ghee’s leadership as President, PlayersTV will continue to scale innovative, bespoke content and partnership opportunities. Prior to founding Expectant Media, Ghee held senior leadership roles across ESSENCE, EBONY, BET, and CNN, where she built and led teams at the intersection of media, culture, and brand partnerships. Across her career, she has driven over $1B in revenue through content, advertising, and experiential initiatives.
Additional announcements on original programming, distribution expansion, experiential partnerships, and brand collaborations will be shared in the coming weeks as PlayersTV prepares for the 2026 Upfronts.
About PlayersTV
PlayersTV is the first media distribution network and ecosystem owned by athletes and their fans. As the premier destination and distributor of athlete-led lifestyle content, PlayersTV builds deep, authentic connections with audiences across digital, linear, and experiential channels, providing major brand partners a uniquely powerful pathway to unrivaled resonance. PlayersTV features more than 3,000+ fan-owners and 70+ iconic athlete-investors across the NBA, NFL, WNBA, and MLB, including: Chris Paul, Travis Kelce, Chiney Ogwumike, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Vernon Davis, Ken Griffey, Jr., Monique Billings, Aerial Powers, and many more. PlayersTV’s 24/7 channel is available on DirecTV, YouTube TV, Fubo, Amazon Fire TV, and Philo. See more at https://playerstv.com/.
