Deion Sanders is potentially going primetime, again.
The NFL legend, who has bolstered interest in college football and turned around the fortunes of the Colorado Buffaloes, is getting his own Entourage-style comedy.
Sanders, otherwise known as Coach Prime, is working with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat and SMAC Productions, which is run by former NFL star Michael Strahan and Constance Schwartz-Morini, to develop a half-hour comedy about his life.
It will follow a Pro Football Hall of Famer-turned-rookie head coach as he juggles his celebrity status and soaring personal brand, while aiming to secure his legacy with a championship. It’s described as “Entourage meets the gridiron.”
Everybody Hates Chris co-creator Ali LeRoi will write and exec produce, with Sanders, Strahan and Schwartz-Morini also exec producing alongside Hart, Bryan Smiley and Mike Stein.
Schwartz-Morini, CEO and co-founder of SMAC, which also produces Amazon’s Coach Prime, told Deadline, “This project is another prime example of how SMAC Productions/Entertainment leverages the extraordinary lives and passions of our clients and along with Coach Prime, we couldn’t have better partners in Hartbeat and Ali LeRoi.”
Sanders took over the Buffaloes who won first three games of the 2023 season in epic fashion, a feat particularly given that the team went 1-11 the previous season. They have lost their most recent two games to Oregon and USC, respectively.
According to a Time report, which broke the news of the development, Sanders’ arrival and subsequent turnaround in team form has seen the school’s online team-store merchandise sales up 892% year-to-date over 2022. Its nationally televised game against Oregon two weeks ago drew 10 million viewers, making it one of the year’s most-watched college games.
Sanders is also the star of the docuseries Coach Prime which premiered on Amazon’s Prime Video in December and has been renewed for a second season.
During his time in the NFL, where he was considered one of the best cornerbacks of all time, Sanders played for the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, Washington and the Baltimore Ravens. He also played nine seasons in MLB with the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves among others.
Source: Deadline
