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Gotham Chopra’s production company is changing the media landscape
Gotham Chopra, the son of Deepak Chopra, co-founded Santa Monica-based media content company, Religion of Sports, in 2017 with Tom Brady and Michael Strahan. PAGE 10 THE ARGONAUT JUNE 23, 2022
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MORTENSON
Religion of Sports
By Abigail LaCombe otham Chopra believes that sports can have the same impact as religion. To support his point, he, Tom Brady and Michael Strahan started Religion of Sports, a Santa Monica-based media content company, in 2017. They initially raised $10 million to develop the content across many platforms, and recently announced $50 million in Series B Funding. “It’s not about religion and sports,” said Chopra, who is the son of author and alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra. “It’s not about exploring evangelical athletes. It’s about how sports is community. You know, you go on pilgrimages, you believe in mythologies, you become part of something bigger than yourself. That was always the idea.” Religion of Sports tells stories that make believers, held together by a common thread of why sports matter. Their programming has drawn more than 250 million views/listens of its content, which covers athletes like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Brady, Simone Biles and Steph Curry. In 2021, the company debuted several docuseries including “Man in the Arena” on ESPN+, “Passion Play” on Showtime, and “Simone vs. Herself” on Facebook Watch. They recently premiered the second season of their hit series, “Greatness Code,” on AppleTV+. Last week, they released “The Sessions: Draymond Green” on Prime Video, which was produced by Religion of Sports and directed by Chopra. Chopra said the company puts a new spin on the well-documented athletes’ stories. “Across multiple Olympic arenas, Grand Slam finals, Tom Brady’s 10 Super Bowls, Steph Curry’s five NBA Championships or NBA finals, etc.,” he said. “That type of sustained success comes from work. No one at that level is just gifted. It’s about who is putting in the work.” The trio has put in their own work, as Religion of Sports proves it isn’t just for sports fans. They also plan to expand beyond sports into areas like business, music and entertainment. “There are some upcoming projects that I’d say are tangential,” Chopra said. “Sports is a language of performance. You can see that with people who are
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