New Orleans Pelicans Guard Expands Media Network Even Further

The New Orleans Pelicans guard continues to see success on and off the court.

Apr 14, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) is announced to the fans before the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum wears plenty of hats. On the court, he is the starting point guard for the Pelicans, and off of it, he has plenty of ventures, from being the President of the Players Association to hosting his Pull Up With CJ McCollum Podcast. His partnership with PlayersTV is now expanding for more visibility to the masses.

PlayersTV focuses on athlete lifestyle-centric content from sports to business, and even leisure to give athletes a voice to express all aspects of their life. It was founded in 2020 in partnership with Players Media Group, Anthem Sports & Entertainment, with the first athletes participating being McCollum, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony.

The first content debuted exclusively on Samsung Plus TV, but now Direct TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Vizio, and Fubo have added PlayersTV to their viewership package. Since its inception, more athletes like Kyrie Irving, Dwayne Wade, and Travis Kelce have become stakeholders in the media network.

Players Media Group co-founder Dereon Guidrey imagined PlayersTV being an exciting place for fans to see what their favorite athletes were doing in and outside the world of sports.

"Through PlayersTV, we've created a distribution ecosystem that brings fans and athletes together in one place, making it easier for fans to access the content they desire, and easier for athletes to reach their fans and also better monetize their content. I'm excited to have world-class athletes join us as shareholders, investors, and partners on this journey."

McCollum has been active throughout his career in advocating a voice for athletes. He graduated with a degree in Journalism from Lehigh and has done many things from writing columns in the Players Tribune to speaking openly on platforms regarding the plight of professional athletes in this climate.

He is also very active in the community, opening a 'Dream Center' in New Orleans, initiating a scholarship program for underprivileged kids, and launching a journalism program for aspiring writers.

The one thing he's not accomplished is winning an NBA Championship.

McCollum will attempt to get himself and the Pelicans organization there for the first time. New Orleans won 49 games last season and McCollum was instrumental in that success. He set the franchise record for three-pointers made in a season (239) and shot a career-best 42.9% from beyond the arc.

The Pelicans were bounced out in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, there is plenty of optimism surrounding this team heading into next season. They acquired dynamic guard Dejounte Murray this summer and with McCollum, Zion Williamson, and Brandon Ingram, they have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA when healthy.