Lamar Odom Show Heads Slate From Viewpark and For Us by Us Network (EXCLUSIVE)
By Leo Barraclough
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Viewpark has formed a strategic partnership with Phoenixx Digital Studios and the For Us by Us Network to co-finance a slate of content for the African-American market, headed by reality show “Lamar and Sabrina,” starring Lamar Odom and his girlfriend, Sabrina Parr.
Streaming platform Forusbyus.com will debut a slate of docu-reality shows, starting with “Lamar and Sabrina.” Odom, who recently competed in “Dancing With the Stars,” will give viewers a deep dive into the ups and downs on his road to recovery after being found unconscious in a Las Vegas brothel after a series of strokes and heart attacks. The show will also focus on Parr, and explore how Odom’s complicated past impacts his relationships.
“Lamar and Sabrina” was created by Roberto “Rush” Evans and produced by Phoenixx Digital Studios, which owns Forusbyus.com. Rush was the former head of creative and production for Monami Ent., the company behind the “Love & Hip Hop” franchise. Rush also created the viral series “King of South Beach,” highlighting rapper Akinyele as he opened the first black-owned strip club in South Beach, Miami, and the web series “Charli Knows Best.”
Forusbyus.com is a joint venture between Phoenixx Digital Studios and Fubu clothing line founder J. Alexander. “Forusbyus.com is the next level for me personally,” said J. Alexander. “It is going to be the premier destination for African Americans to watch content that was created for us by us. Most content today geared towards African Americans are made by people that know nothing about the culture, which is why the few shows that are made by people in the culture succeed the way they do.
“Me and the creative visionaries at Phoenixx Digital Studios wanted to create a place where African Americans can go see content and news for free while knowing that all the content on the platform was created by people that actually understand them.”
Content from Forusbyus.com will also be simultaneously available on Comcast and Verizon on a For Us by Us video-on-demand channel.
“Rush and his partner Terence have cleverly cornered the market for content for the hip-hop community,” said Viewpark’s CEO Krysanne Katsoolis, “and we are excited to join forces with Rush and his partners to expedite the studio’s production plans and grow the site rapidly over the next 18 months. I firmly believe that curated content which is specifically marketed to a community of like-minded believers is the next wave of engagement for the entertainment industry.”
Viewpark was set up in May by veteran film industry executive Katsoolis to finance, package and release film and TV content, partnering with Obsidian Asset Management to create a multi-million dollar fund for the production and marketing of its slate.
A five-part digital special for “Lamar and Sabrina” will be available for streaming on Forusbyus.com as well as bossip.com in November.
