• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechYouTube

YouTube Teams With Kevin Durant to Add Athlete Channels, Sports Programming

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 17, 2018, 9:00 AM ET

Kevin Durant already has a big following for the YouTube channel he launched last year, and now the NBA superstar is helping the online video service land other famous athletes.

YouTube is partnering with Thirty Five Media, the creative development company Durant founded with his manager Rich Kleiman, to help other high-profile athletes launch their own dedicated YouTube channels, the company’s announced on Wednesday. Thirty Five Media will also be a development partner for YouTube, which will include creating sports programming such as a new digital series being developed by Durant and actor-director Michael Rapaport (Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest) that will stream on the basketball star’s own YouTube channel.

Durant’s YouTube channel launched in April 2017, featuring live-streaming video as well as a regular web series, Still KD, that follows the star when he’s off the court. In less than a year, Durant’s channel has picked up nearly 590,000 subscribers and over 21 million video views. Now, Durant is looking to help other star athletes build and curate their own video presences on YouTube through Thirty Five Media. NFL star Richard Sherman, a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, already debuted his own YouTube channel last fall. The companies said NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns will also launch his own dedicated channel, as will Durant’s Golden State Warriors teammates, JaVale McGee and Nick Young.

“I’ve had an incredible experience on YouTube engaging with fans all around the world and sharing different parts of my life,” Durant said in a statement. “It was natural for me to want to show other athletes what they can achieve on YouTube and to ensure my Thirty Five Media team and I can be a resource for those athletes.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief product officer, added in his own statement that he’s “excited” to work with Durant and Kleiman in helping other star athletes replicate Durant’s online video success on YouTube. The Google-owned online video site is looking to attract more athletes and sports-focused programming. YouTube already partners with professional sports leagues like the MLB, NBA, and NFL, whose dedicated channels boast millions of followers, so it makes sense for the service to bolster that programming with additional content from the athletes themselves.

In addition to founding Thirty Five Media with Kleiman, Durant also has an investment company through which he’s put money into startups such as delivery startup Postmates, the fintech app Acorns, and sports news site The Player’s Tribune. Durant even said recently that he’s interested in owning an NBA franchise after he’s done playing.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Elon Musk and Sam Altman on-stage together at a 2015 conference.
LawSam Altman
Musk vs. Altman: Burning Man, a ‘diary,’ and a trial almost no one thinks Musk can win
By Eva RoytburgApril 27, 2026
7 hours ago
students walk on a brick-paved path surrounded by trees with fall-colored leaves
Future of WorkColleges and Universities
Meet a 20-year-old student who changed her major to marketing to ‘AI-proof’ her career
By Jocelyn Gecker, Linley Sanders and The Associated PressApril 27, 2026
10 hours ago
Reed Hastings says AI will drive a return to humanities: ‘I’d be doubling down on emotional skills’
AIColleges and Universities
Reed Hastings says AI will drive a return to humanities: ‘I’d be doubling down on emotional skills’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 27, 2026
10 hours ago
Marc benioff
AIHiring
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says AI won’t kill entry-level jobs. He’s hiring 1,000 new grads to prove it
By Jake AngeloApril 27, 2026
11 hours ago
John Ternus, incoming CEO of Apple
SuccessCareers
Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus tells Gen Z an early mistake taught him an important lesson: ‘The care you put into your work really matters’
By Emma BurleighApril 27, 2026
12 hours ago
A bank robber made off with $195,000 and got caught after his cell pinged a geofence. Now SCOTUS decides whether that violated the Fourth Amendment
Lawsmartphones and mobile devices
A bank robber made off with $195,000 and got caught after his cell pinged a geofence. Now SCOTUS decides whether that violated the Fourth Amendment
By The Associated Press and Mark ShermanApril 27, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
12 hours ago
Elon Musk says saving for retirement is irrelevant because AI is going to create a world of abundance: 'It won't matter'
Future of Work
Elon Musk says saving for retirement is irrelevant because AI is going to create a world of abundance: 'It won't matter'
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 26, 2026
1 day ago
The U.S. military may have already used up half of its most expensive missiles, and it could take up to 4 years to rebuild its stockpiles
Politics
The U.S. military may have already used up half of its most expensive missiles, and it could take up to 4 years to rebuild its stockpiles
By Sasha RogelbergApril 24, 2026
3 days ago
More than 90,000 tech workers have been laid off this year. But here’s why companies like Microsoft are offering voluntary buyouts instead
Big Tech
More than 90,000 tech workers have been laid off this year. But here’s why companies like Microsoft are offering voluntary buyouts instead
By Jacqueline MunisApril 26, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, April 27, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, April 27, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 27, 2026
15 hours ago
Baby boomers have now 'gobbled up' nearly one-third of America's wealth share, and they're leaving Gen Z and millennials behind
Investing
Baby boomers have now 'gobbled up' nearly one-third of America's wealth share, and they're leaving Gen Z and millennials behind
By Sasha RogelbergApril 26, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.