Tennis champion Naomi Osaka invites audiences to tag along as she explores Tokyo in the debut episode of “Off Day,” a new travel series on YouTube following athletes touring well-known cultural and culinary destinations on their days off.
The series was developed and produced by UltraBoom Media — the company helmed by producers of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and “Down to Earth with Zac Efron” — together with LeBron James’ Uninterrupted, Osaka’s Hana Kuma, and in partnership with The Infatuation, Chase Travel and Chase Sapphire.
“’Off Day’ sits at the intersection of two of our most celebrated universal languages, food and sports. Two things that transcend borders, languages, and cultures,” stated UltraBoom Media’s Erik Osterholm, who founded the company alongside Michael Simkin, Carrie Kaylor and Omar Mullick last year.
“The show reflects the kind of storytelling we set out to create when launching UltraBoom Media, leaning into our diverse global production and creative experience,” Osterholm continued. “We love that ‘Off Day’ hands the storytelling baton to the athletes, immersing us in their POV and is designed for a new world of entertainment and audience engagement. ‘Off Day’ is a show, but it’s also a limitless brand that we’re excited to share with the world.”
UltraBoom Media is developing “Off Day” to expand into additional formats and iterations, including “Off Mic” with comedians, “Off Stage” with musicians, “Off Script” with actors, and “Off Menu” with chefs.
New episodes launch every other week on YouTube via Uninterrupted; upcoming episodes include MLB all-star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. touring Toronto, NBA star Alperen Sengun in Istanbul and Aryna Sabalenka, currently the No. 1 ranked tennis player in the world, in New York City.
“As both an executive producer and someone featured in the first episode, ‘Off Day’ is really special to me,” said Osaka. “We created Hana Kuma to tell layered, honest stories like this — ones that go beyond the game and show the person. I’m proud to kick it off and to collaborate with Uninterrupted and UBM, who share our vision of showing athletes in a fuller, more human light.”
Likewise, Uninterrupted VP Elyse Kellogg noted how the new series reflects the company’s “commitment to creative storytelling from the athlete’s point of view by giving fans a deeper look into the culture and lifestyle of their favorite athletes. It also marks a broader effort to grow our storytelling and distribution through strategic partnerships — in ways that feel personal and relatable.”
The project marks the second partnership between Uninterrupted and Osaka’s Hana Kuma following “The Second Set,” a documentary which chronicles the tennis pro’s return to the sport after the birth of her child. The documentary film, also produced by Nike, will premiere on Tubi in August. Other projects from Uninterrupted, which is now part of Fulwell Entertainment following the merger between Fulwell 73 and Springhill last year, include “Mind the Game,” “Starting Five” and “On the Rise: JuJu Watkins.”
Watch the first episode on YouTube and a trailer for the series below:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Aryna Sabalenka
Alperen Sengun
AloJapan.com