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Home • Money & Career

Former BET, Ebony & Jet Leader Michele Ghee Is Named Chairwoman Of First Athlete and Fan-Owned Media Network

After leading BET, EBONY and Jet, the seasoned media veteran joins PlayersTV as its Chairwoman of the Board to help accelerate its growth.
Former BET, Ebony & Jet Leader Michele Ghee Is Named Chairwoman Of First Athlete and Fan-Owned Media Network
The Official Players Image of 30-Year Media Veteran Michele Ghee and WNBA Stars Chiney Ogwumike & Alysha Clark
By Jasmine Browley · Updated April 2, 2024
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Michele Ghee is at the helm of yet another company poised to further equity in the media landscape.

It was recently announced Ghee was named Chairwoman of the Board of PlayersTV and CEO of Expectant Media. A part of her role is leading PlayersTV, which is the first ever athlete owned media network, to propel its mission in creating lifestyle and culture-forward content for sports fans and athletes alike.

“I’m honored to guide and direct this brilliant team of forward thinking individuals to accelerate their growth,” Ghee said in a news release. “Deron, Collin and the 70-plus athlete owners are more than passionate about sports; they are passionate about the human beings and the stories that transcend the game!”

She added, “I’m excited and ready to hold the marketplace accountable and help them solidify the partnerships they need to grow and thrive while providing significant value to the brands that support us.”

Ghee is known for her work with EBONY and Jet, EBONY Studios, CNN, A&E, The History Channel, and BET Networks among other roles. Most notably she ideated and spearheaded the first and only network for Black women: BETHer.

In her new role as the leader of PlayersTV, Ghee aims to lead the network’s strategic direction, and continue to build pathways to connect with sports fans globally.

The launch of the network is a step in the right as the need for diverse representation in the media is at an all-time high.

Across 114 countries, women comprise only 24% of the people we read about, see, or hear from on television, radio, and in the newspapers, according to one study spanning 20 years, as noted by Sarah Alaoui at United Nations Foundation in a 2023 essay.

With the launch of PlayersTV, that visibility gap aiming to be closed.

“Joining PlayersTV as an athlete owner and investor is an exciting opportunity for me,” said WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike, who recently invested and got tapped as a personality on the network. “I’m ready to take the reins of my narrative and leverage my voice to create compelling content that resonates with authenticity, meaning, and impact. This platform empowers me to not just be a player in the game, but a game-changer in storytelling, pushing boundaries, and moving the needle forward,” said Chiney Ogwumike.