ESPN Announces “The Trade with Kelley L. Carter” Series

Disney’s Andscape has announced a brand new interview series, “The Trade with Kelley L. Carter”, which is hosted and executive produced by the Emmy Award-winning journalist. 

The series features honest conversations with global athletes and entertainers, moving past headlines to focus on their personal lives, vulnerabilities, and defining choices. Through these unfiltered interviews, the show explores the intersection of sports and culture while looking at the lasting legacies of its guests.

“This series goes significantly deeper than a traditional interview format; it is a true cultural exchange,” said host and executive producer Kelley L. Carter. “We are providing an essential platform for heavy-hitters across sports and entertainment to share their raw truths, unpeeled layers, and defining choices in a way that viewers have never witnessed before.”

Jason Aidoo, Vice President & General Manager at Andscape, added: “At Andscape, we’re passionate about the spaces where sports, culture, identity and influence converge – and The Trade with Kelley L. Carter is a powerful expression of that mission. Kelley has a rare ability to sit with our culture’s most recognisable figures and uncover something more human, more layered and more unexpected. Through these conversations, the series explores how sports has shaped the lives, identities and creative journeys of entertainers and athletes who continue to move culture forward. The Trade is intimate, cinematic and unmistakably Andscape.”

Produced by GTG Studios, whose team has produced Emmy Award-winning content, “The Trade with Kelley L. Carter” features executive producers Samir Hernandez, Angella Hernandez and Leo Knox, alongside showrunner Spencer Paysinger. 

The brand new series will premiere on ESPN Unlimited on July 29th, 2026.  It will also be available on ESPN On Disney+ for bundled subscribers in the US.  No international Disney+ release details have been announced yet.

Here are the details on the episodes in this series:

• Episode 1: Flau’jae Johnson – On The Way – Flau’jae Johnson is building two careers – and one undeniable legacy. As she balances the demands of life as a rising basketball star with her growing presence in music, Johnson opens up about discipline, ambition and the drive required to chase two dreams at once. In conversation with Kelley L. Carter, she reflects on the influences, sacrifices and creative instincts shaping her next chapter.
• Episode 2: Marshawn Lynch – Beyond Beast Mode – Beast Mode was the brand. This is the man behind it. Marshawn Lynch reflects on the life, peace and purpose he has built beyond football, offering a candid look at the choices that have defined him on and off the field. From protecting his privacy to expanding his voice in entertainment and business, Lynch explores what it means to own your story after the game.
• Episode 3: Tyshawn Jones – Kick, Push, Growth – Tyshawn Jones turned skateboarding into a global platform – and he is still pushing beyond it. From the streets of New York to the world stage, Jones reflects on style, risk, creativity and what it means to keep evolving after already changing the game. As his influence expands across fashion, sport and culture, he opens up about building a legacy on his own terms.
• Episode 4: John Cena – The Invisible Man Appears – John Cena knows how to make impossible worlds feel real. The global star joins Kelley L. Carter for a conversation about audience trust, performance and the discipline behind building larger-than-life characters without losing the simplicity of story. As he reflects on projects including Coyote vs. Acme, Cena explores the craft, restraint and imagination required to make big ideas connect.
• Episode 5: Tyler James Williams – Seeing Around Corners – Tyler James Williams has spent much of his life growing up in front of audiences, but his journey has been anything but predictable. The acclaimed actor reflects on comedy, Crohn’s disease, instinct and career longevity, sharing how personal health challenges reshaped his relationship with his body, his work and his purpose. In this intimate conversation, Williams explores what it takes to stay in the game – and to see what is coming before everyone else does.
• Episode 6: Renee Montgomery – The First of Many – Renee Montgomery left the game to buy it. The WNBA champion and Atlanta Dream co-owner reflects on her groundbreaking transition from player to executive, and what it means to build power, equity and opportunity from the inside. Montgomery opens up about ownership, leadership, storytelling and the responsibility of becoming the first – while making sure she is not the last.
• Episode 7: Jeezy – The Long Game – The man who built a legend is now learning to outgrow it. Jeezy reflects on evolution, healing and the long road from trap music icon to entrepreneur, author and golf enthusiast. From the fairway to the boardroom, he opens up about wellness, reinvention and the moments that forced him to redefine success, peace and purpose on his own terms.
• Episode 8: Blair Underwood – 40 Deep – Forty years in, Blair Underwood is still playing by his own rules. The award-winning actor reflects on a career defined by intention, range and the power of saying no. From his work on screen to his investment in the future of baseball, Underwood joins Kelley L. Carter for a conversation about artistic ownership, cultural representation and the discipline required to build a lasting legacy.
• Episode 9: Dwyane Wade – The Ways of Wade – Dwyane Wade is still evolving. As he reflects on life after the NBA, the three-time champion and cultural force opens up about identity, purpose and the ongoing work of reinvention. Wade joins Kelley L. Carter for a wide-ranging conversation about legacy, storytelling, family, business and the responsibility that comes with building something meaningful beyond basketball.
• Episode 10: Tobe Nwigwe – Becoming The Bridge – Tobe Nwigwe is building a bridge between where he comes from and what he is creating next. The artist, performer and visionary reflects on fatherhood, first-generation roots, faith, family and the creative foundation that shapes his work. In conversation with Kelley L. Carter, Nwigwe explores how identity, purpose and community continue to guide his expanding cultural impact.

Will you be checking out this new series?  Let me know on social media!