New media forum for athletes has launched

The Players' Tribune, a first-of-its-kind digital media company, founded by Derek Jeter, officially launched at www.theplayerstribune.com on Saturday, Feb. 14. 

The platform, which soft launched in October, is dedicated to empowering athletes with the tools they need to tell their stories. In addition to first-person essays, the platform will also feature an array of video content, podcasts and original photography.

Jeter is founding publisher while editorial director is Gary Hoenig. Television and radio personality Ben Lyons is the chief correspondent and "voice of the fans" who shared the vision for the platform.

The Players' Tribune contributors include Seattle Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson, New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey, Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen, former NBA center Jason Collins, LPGA professional golfer Stacy Lewis and Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin. Others include Evander Holyfield, Rob Gronkowski, LaDainian Tomlinson,Jerry Stackhouse, and Becky Hammond.

Photographer Walter Iooss, Jr., of Sports Illustrated fame, is the platform's photo advisor and photographer-at-large.

To date, The Players' Tribune has published first-person articles by some of the world's biggest sports stars including Jeter, Kobe Bryant, Russell Wilson and Danica Patrick. In the coming months, The Players' Tribune will expand its rich content offerings across many mediums, including original short and long-form video and podcast series, in addition to the daily narratives by the athletes themselves.

The Players' Tribune and AOL have a strategic partnership to co-produce and distribute exclusive content to be housed on both platforms. Creative will include original series, athlete-driven content and on the ground activations around tent-pole events throughout the year.

"Our vision behind The Players' Tribune is to create a platform that transforms how athletes share information and, in turn, bring the fans closer than ever to the game," Jeter said. "The goal is to build an innovative online destination with unique content and I think the AOL partnership will continue to help us grow."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with The Players' Tribune," said Dermot McCormack, president AOL Videos and AOL Studios, "and bringing innovative and engaging content to AOL and The Players' Tribune. We look forward to creating a one-of-a-kind experience for the world's biggest athletes and sporting events for fans everywhere."

As part of the partnership, AOL will distribute The Players' Tribune content on AOL.com and across AOL's network of monthly unique visitors; co-produce exclusive content on both platforms; and co-produce events together throughout the year.

"We have taken a very measured approach to our strategic partners that share our vision and are thrilled to align with AOL," said Jaymee Messler, president of The Players' Tribune. "We look forward to making engaging and authentic athlete-driven content together."

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, SiriusXM and The Players' Tribune launched a national radio show, airing every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. central. The show will run throughout the year on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio, channel 85, and will feature a rotating group of athletes and special guests, who will bring Tribune content to life. 

In addition to AOL and Sirius/XM, the Blue Jeans Network, a global leader in cloud-based video collaboration and interactive event services, will partner with The Players' Tribune on integration of Blue Jeans' Primetime technology. Primetime enhances athlete and fan engagement through real-time Q&As, virtual discussion groups and more.

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