Last month, we announced thelaunch ofFREEAgent, a new podcast from creative entrepreneurKenny Annan-Jonathan.
The pod also serves as the first project from Annan-Jonathans independent production houseTrnsmission.
Were interested in all the above: documentaries.
Kenny Annan-Jonathan
Annan-Jonathan knows the connection between the two well.
DEADLINE: Kenny, how did you get started in the biz?
KENNY ANNANJONATHAN:My background is in fashion.
I used to run a streetwear brand in the mid-2000s.
I had great success with it, but it was a long time ago.
Ive done so many other things since then.
We were stocked in Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and Harrods.
Former Crystal Palace player Wilfred Zaha was a customer of mine.
When he decided to start his brand, he asked me to help.
I had success with Wilf, which led to more clients and building an agency.
I didnt want to start an agency because I was happy with just Wilf.
But then I realized it was a service many of the athletes needed.
You had to look to the U.S. for anything similar.
What work will you be doing?
They just wanted headlines.
Im a storyteller at heart.
My background is in the creative.
And thats what we would do.
Then it just began to expand.
So, a website that hosts original content, IP, from video storytelling to conversation series shows.
We will have new shows like40%,a financial literacy show.
There was a stat in The Times that said 40% of footballers go broke four years after retirement.
And thats not only just about what they do with their money.
Its about how they invest in themselves and expand.
So Trnsmission will be a cultural hub where it doesnt just celebrate the athletes.
It also celebrates the creators in and around the space and the people behind the scenes.
DEADLINE: How will you monitize those shows and Trnsmission?
ANNANJONATHAN:There will be shows that we will keep in-house and own the IP.
We will also license some of those shows to other networks and platforms.
We will also have brand partnerships and offline activations.
DEADLINE: For me, sports and culture go hand-in-hand.
I see Adidas, and I can think of NWA.
Or Nike and Jordan.
But I guess, like you say, there still is some wider separation between the two.
Has it been difficult to convince people that there is worth in crossing over the two?
ANNANJONATHAN:No, because from a grassroots perspective, its been bubbling for some time.
The hard part is getting the corporations and suits to see the value.
If it doesnt necessarily make sense financially, theyre not interested.
But outside of the financials, its also about community building.
Fashion is one of the biggest communities in the world, and travels into many different subcultures.
So when we see things blow up, they dont.
So its all about the translation of why something is cool.
We get it because we live.
For them, everything is very numbers-based.
DEADLINE: Creatives working in the UK often speak about how difficult it is to work here.
What do you think about the current state of things?
ANNANJONATHAN:I truly believe the UK has one of the best creative landscapes in the world.
But there are people within their spaces who are working and collaborating extremely well.
Outside of working in linear marketing agencies like Saatchi and Saatchi, its very tough.
Hence, the reason why most of the work we do is outside of our country.
Using the example of Gabriel Moses.
Gabriel Moses is not new.
DEADLINE: What is the long term goal for Trnsmission?
Will you make feature length works?
ANNANJONATHAN:Were interested in all the above: documentaries.
Everythings also gone short form.
But I believe 2025 is the year to bring long-form back.
How do we get people to invest in actual art from a creative perspective?
How do we get informative shows where people can sit down and take in information?
Theres power in the niches.
I think back to one of my favorite documentaries,Sub Eleven Secondson ShaCarri Richardson.
It was created by my good friend Bafic.
Hes not in the world of sports, but that doc put him in that world.
I was also produced by Virgil Abloh.
But its all about where that content lives.
Now, it can be Trnsmission.
