Fox Sports is taking a strategic stake in Shadow Lion, the production company co-founded by its star NFL analyst Tom Brady, to co-develop a slate of original content. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed.
The athlete-as-mogul playbook: The move follows a familiar strategy in the media world, where networks partner with high-profile athlete-led studios—like LeBron James’s SpringHill Company or Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions—to lock in premium content. "It’s extending this Fox Sports experience beyond just NFL games on Sunday,” Brady said. The Boston-based Shadow Lion will also establish a new office on the Fox lot in Los Angeles.
First on the field: The partnership's initial projects include a docuseries on Michigan's football program, which Brady and Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh will executive produce. The deal also covers the upcoming Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi Arabia, which is set to air on Fox.
The long game: Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks confirmed the network is investing "for the long term," adding that the deal could give the network "a new gear." Brady said the collaboration is built on "shared values and shared principles," telling the Sports Business Journal that starting with his alma mater "felt like the perfect way to start the collaboration.”
The investment solidifies Tom Brady's transition from athlete to media mogul, giving him a powerful vehicle for his post-career ambitions while providing Fox a dedicated pipeline for talent-led sports content.
Meanwhile, the sports media landscape continues to shift, with Disney finalizing its deal to acquire a majority stake in FuboTV and merge it with Hulu + Live TV. The Shadow Lion deal is also just one piece of Fox's broader content strategy, which recently included acquiring the U.S. rights to the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
