Showtime to Debut Allen Iverson Film

Showtime Sports will televise the feature-length film on NBA All-Star Allen Iverson in May, the network announced Tuesday.

Iverson, which debuted at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, will premiere on Showtime May 16 and chronicles the life and career of the 11-time NBA All-Star whose talents and embrace of hip-hop culture help influence a generation of NBA fans.

The documentary is is produced and directed by Zatella Beatty, producers Ted Faye and Stephen Perry with executive producers Mike Tollin and Gary Moore.

“More than a transcendent athlete, Allen Iverson is a transcendent figure in American culture,” said Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager, Showtime Sports in a statement. “Iverson is as raw and as honest as its subject. This is the quintessential addition to the growing collection of great sports documentaries on Showtime.”

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.