Disney has announced that it is launching a brand new multi-media platform called Andscape, which is dedicated to embracing and sharing the full range of Black culture and identity, as a rebranded and expanded version of The Undefeated.  Andscape, is part of the ESPN portfolio and will be a content creator for The Walt Disney Company, encompassing an editorial unit with a robust website, a book publishing arm, a film and television division, and a music publishing group — all with the shared mission of uniting, entertaining, inspiring, and connecting audiences through a Black lens.

Raina Kelley, Andscape’s Editor-in-Chief, commented:

“Andscape, like The Undefeated before it, is a groundbreaking Black brand, a 24/7 multi-platform media venture curated for the infinite reflections of Black identity. We are disrupting the space with a broad, deep, and real representation of the Black experience. This is a place for folks to lean into all facets of their identity–all of their ‘ANDs’–and experience an extensive and inclusive view of the Black landscape. With visionary artists, writers, thinkers, and creatives contributing to all aspects of Andscape, our audience will be captivated and inspired by how we connect with them and how they connect with us.”

The brand Andscape reflects the platform’s vision to provide its audience with more expansive coverage of current events, music, food, fashion, tech, personal finance, parenting and travel, in addition to continuing The Undefeated’s foundation in sports.  Andscape is focused on being inspirational for and inclusive of the entire Black audience, with a particular focus on younger consumers from Generation Z and the Millennial generation. Andscape is for anyone inspired by the Black point of view, with content that crosses racial, ethnic, and experiential lines to welcome audiences and consumers who find inspiration at the intersections of Black culture.

James Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content added:

“With The Undefeated, we began a dialogue that will be continued and broadened through Andscape to include more topics, more perspectives and more ways to engage. This is an evolution in response to the appetite of our audience for additional smart, thought-provoking, and authentic multi-platform content about the Black experience.”

The Andscape platform will regularly feature new content across its website and YouTube channel, and will also be a content originator in the form of signature films, digital content, and books for other platforms. On March 7, the first Andscape short film, Starkeisha, directed by Mo McRae and inspired by the Music For The Movement EPs, will stream as an Original film from Andscape on Hulu. The visual album is a journey of a young Black woman thrust into a fantastical world of Blackness.

Mark L. Walker, ESPN Head of Sports Business Development and Innovation said in a statement:

“We are doubling down our investment in and commitment to Black stories and voices with the introduction of Andscape. There is an incredible team shepherding the development of this broad and inclusive media portfolio devoted to the Black audience, and we are confident that their work will spark conversation and feeling among our consumers, communities and beyond.”

The Andscape YouTube channel will be home to a new weekly show, Logged In, hosted by Domonique Foxworth. Launching on March 4, the former NFL star will examine the rich history behind ‘Black Twitter’ and the contribution of Black creativity across the social media landscape. The channel will also feature entertainment reporter Kelley Carter’s Another Act, a weekly show focusing on Black Hollywood. Additionally, Andscape.com will include new content daily about the Black gaze on the world from Pulitzer Prize finalist Soraya Nadia McDonald, who will take a dive into everything from the history of name-changing among Black Americans, to South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley’s decision to give more than 70 Black female coaches a piece of her championship net, to the evolution of NBA tattoos and more.

Andscape will assume the platform, social handles and other digital channels of The Undefeated, which was launched in May 2016 as a content initiative to explore the intersection of sports, race and culture. Andscape will continue and expand on The Undefeated’s legacy of creating innovative long-form and short-form storytelling, investigation, original reporting, and provocative commentary to enlighten and entertain audiences inspired by the Black lens on the world while seeking a more holistic representation of Black life – the new, the cool, the real, the important and the fun.

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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