Up North and MALKA Media announced their production partnership with Called Game, hosted by Kenny Beecham, as the debut show. Thanks to our friends at Variety for sharing the news!
Check out the exclusive here: https://variety.com/2021/gaming/news/youtube-kot4q-kenny-beecham-malka-up-north-called-games-1234902547/
MALKA, the creative content studio and media network is teaming up with leading talent management and entertainment company Up North to produce “Called Game” with Kenny Beecham aka KOT4Q (King of the 4th Quarter), the first series set to release from the companies’ newly-formed production slate.
Launching February 2021, this interview style show will bring notable athletes, entrepreneurs and content-creators “off-the court” and into the guest chair to shed light on each guest’s unique voice, experiences and perspectives. Beecham will give his dedicated audience a front row seat into the guests’ lives as they discuss sports, sneaker culture, gaming, and so much more.
“Called Game” will air weekly on YouTube where Beecham’s fanbase of 1.5 million tune in for his wealth of NBA knowledge, opinions, vlog-style videos and NBA 2K/fantasy basketball gameplay. An audio version of “Called Game” will also be available on all digital streaming platforms where podcasts are available.
Kenny is a client of Up North, who launched the company in 2018, disrupting the rapidly growing gaming and esports industry with a vision to find innovative ways to bridge the gap between mainstream culture, music, sports and video games. A constantly evolving company, Up North provides opportunities well outside the traditional management relationship including a production partnership with MALKA to develop original content, assistance in the creation of original business ventures and more.
“We are thrilled to partner with MALKA to develop innovative content with our talent and beyond, starting with Kenny who is the next star in sports media. MALKA is a leader in the digital space, producing original content at the highest level, and this partnership will allow us to expand our core services beyond the traditional management space to create meaningful IP and build long term brands.” Cody & Cole Hock, Co-Founders of Up North.
MALKA is the creative machine behind Showtime’s award-winning All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson, Morning Kombat, #GetSome with Gary Owen, Run That Back with Wyclef Jean, Below The Belt with Brendan Schaub, Double Coverage with the McCourty Twins, and Heal Thy Self with Doctor G. MALKA is building the fastest growing network for millennials and gen-z today with a total of 25 million monthly views across all shows.
“The best kind of partnership involves innovative forward thinking and collaboration, which is why we couldn’t be happier to partner with Up North,” said MALKA’s CEO, Louis Krubich. “Up North represents some of the strongest talent that has potential to build IP platforms, and with the MALKA machine behind it, we believe this partnership is going to bring big things.”
About Up North
Up North is a diversified entertainment & media company specializing in talent management, brand building, innovative content, and original business ventures. Featured on Forbes & Business Insider, the company represents top content creators & streamers as well as professional athletes with a passion for the digital space. Founded by brothers Cody and Cole Hock in late 2018, the two launched the company by disrupting the rapidly growing esports and gaming industry with a vision to continue to find innovative ways to bridge the gap between mainstream culture, entertainment, sports and video games. In 2020 alone, Up North secured deals with brands/companies such as Samsung, Nesquik, Ford, Gatorade, Jarritos, Oculus, and more. Lastly, the Up North team produced a cartoon series for Miami Dolphins WR, DeVante Parker, called “Uncle Vante,” and partnered with GameStop to create a COVID-19 relief charity program on Twitch. Up North Management’s client roster increased by 150% in 2020 with a collective reach topping 35 million subscribers and over 150 million views monthly.
About MALKA Media
MALKA is a creative studio with the instincts of a creative agency, but built on the backbone of an agile production company. We don’t just dream it, we create it; because we know how and we have everything we need to do it. We produce feature documentaries, shows, and podcasts, represent talent in the NFL, UFC, and esports, develop ad campaigns and creative for some of the biggest brands in the world, produce daily live streams and entertainment for virtual audiences, and create thousands of pieces of video, design, and animated content across every visual medium that exists. We took what was typically done by multiple vendors and built it under a single roof. Not only does that allow our creatives to expand their capabilities—it elevates every piece of content that comes out of our studio. This is content at the speed of culture. With facilities in Santa Monica, CA, and Jersey City, NJ and over 120 creatives, we plug in anywhere, anytime, on projects large and small, for clients across every industry. For more information, please visit: https://malkamedia.com.