One of the most notorious NBA commentators will seemingly soon be back on air, as Gilbert Arenas has signed on with a partner for the forthcoming relaunch of his live video show, Gil’s Arena.
Arenas left Underdog suddenly in the spring after a rocky season during which Underdog attempted to launch a corresponding football show, cohosted by Skip Bayless, under the Arena banner. The show proceeded without Arenas until earlier this month, when Underdog shut down its original content network entirely.
Now, according to a report from Front Office Sports, Arenas is working with Playmaker on the relaunch. Also per FOS, longtime cohost Josiah Johnson is expected to follow Arenas to the new show, which will also be called Gil’s Arena after Arenas retained rights to the brand.
While Underdog kept ownership of The Arena YouTube channel after the split, Arenas’ personal YouTube channel has a strong start for the new show, with more than 330,000 subscribers on its own. Many of Playmaker’s partnerships are for sales and distribution; Arenas is expected to self-produce the new show from Los Angeles.
In a social media post following the layoff of the entire Arena crew, former NBA journeyman Nick Young seemingly confirmed he will join Arenas for the new project. The previous cast also included Rashad McCants, Kenyon Martin Jr., Lou Williams, and Brandon Jennings.
Arenas is part of a new crop of retired athletes who are embracing consistent live content that caters to younger audiences who spend time on YouTube and Twitch more than traditional television or even streaming services. With greater control over his business and a massive audience that he can hope to transport over from the Underdog show, Arenas should again be one of the leaders in the pack this NBA season.
FOS reports the relaunched Gil’s Arena will be back with new daily episodes starting in August.