NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Hip-Hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs have both used their savvy in the worlds of sports and music, respectively, to launch successful entrepreneurial ventures. Now, Magic and Diddy have set their sights onto the world of cable television.
On Monday (February 20), Diddy got the jump on Magic by revealing his plans for a music-oriented cable station called Revolt today (February 21). Combs’ aim for Revolt is for it to model the news and music angle that MTV and BET has dominated for years by using the fast-moving world of social media to influence its content. Revolt will be part of cable giant Comcast’s vast network with Time Warner Cable also considering the station as part of its lineup.
In the wee hours of the morning, Magic Johnson revealed plans for Aspire, billed as a 24-hour station that will focus primarily on what the former hoops star called “positive and uplifting images” of African-Americans. The station is targeting Black viewers, tapping into the market built by competitors BET and TV One. In a phone interview with the Los Angeles Times, Magic Johnson was excited about the upcoming station.
“This is so exciting for me, I’m pinching myself,” Johnson told the Times. “This is big for myself, for the African American community and the African American creative community. I wanted a vehicle to show positive images and to have stories written, produced and directed by African Americans for our community. Aspire—that’s how I’ve been leading my life.”
Although both stations are looking to mix up their content, it appears that Revolt is aiming for a more diverse demographic while Aspire will firmly root itself to a niche audience.
Aspire has a scheduled launch date of June 30 while Revolt has aims to debut towards the end of this year.
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Photo: Magic Johnson Foundation
