Carmelo Anthony joins Utopai Studios to develop AI-powered sports storytelling
Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony has partnered with Utopai Studios as a strategic partner through his production company Creative 7. The collaboration will develop original sports and entertainment content using PAI, Utopai's proprietary AI system for film and television production.
Anthony and Creative 7 co-founder Asani Swann will work with Utopai to expand projects with professional athletes across film, television, streaming, and digital platforms. One of the first projects will be an anime-inspired series built around defining moments from Anthony's career.
How the partnership works
PAI functions as the core of Utopai's production system, handling development, visualization, scene planning, continuity, editing, localization, and delivery. Rather than treating AI as a separate tool, the company integrates it directly into traditional Hollywood workflows.
Anthony said the technology addresses a real problem: "Sports has always been grounded in real human stories that can translate to powerful entertainment IP, but bringing those stories to life hasn't always been easy. PAI changes that."
Swann emphasized speed and control. "With this partnership, we see a clear opportunity to develop sports-driven ideas rooted in authentic storytelling into original entertainment properties at scale," he said. "We're combining technology, production expertise, and creative infrastructure to move those ideas seamlessly into film, television, streaming, and digital platforms-faster and with greater creative control."
Utopai's studio model
The company positions itself as building a new studio system for the AI era. CEO Cecilia Shen said the goal is to give creators and athletes "a more direct path to develop original IP while preserving authorship, ownership, and creative control."
Utopai's approach retains traditional entertainment fundamentals-compelling stories, valuable intellectual property, talent, financing, production, and distribution-but embeds AI into the core of production rather than treating it as an external layer.
The partnership follows Utopai's recent work with NBA player James Harden on an AI-animated short. The initial rollout with Anthony will include a recurring short-form series and behind-the-scenes content, with broader rollout expected across multiple platforms.
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