What happens when you take a legacy sports and entertainment brand like the Harlem Globetrotters, now in its legendary one hundredth year, and pair it with FAST Channel distribution through SPACEMOB? Something awesome, of course.
We sat down with President of the Harlem Globetrotters, Keith Dawkins to discuss the upcoming Harlem Globetrotters world tour, turning one hundred years new and the brand’s fast forward jump into streaming TV with their own FAST Channel.
The Harlem Globetrotters are about to celebrate a one hundred year anniversary. From a brand standpoint, what does that mean to you and what are the plans to celebrate the achievement?
The Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating its 100 years anniversary in 2026. As for our plans…..while it’s too early to share those ideas, we expect that our celebration will be expressed across our entire ecosystem (i.e. live tour, content, digital/social, consumer products, sponsorship, CSR, etc.). In other words, we will use all of our consumer touch points and the power of our partners to commemorate this monumental occasion.
What does it mean for our brand? Everything! But at its simplest….it means that we’ve done something so special that we have endured for one hundred years. And now it means that we are fortunate enough to use the opportunity to catapult and/or elevate ourselves in a way that puts us on a trajectory to be relevant for another hundred.
What are your thoughts on the generational fandom around the Harlem Globetrotters brand?
Joy, Hope, Love, Possibility, Laughter, Goodwill – these are the ideas that fuel the Harlem Globetrotters engine. They are ideas that NEVER go out of style. They are embraced, and celebrated, by every generation that we touch. And once one generation connects with the Harlem Globetrotters brand…they pass that love, and that affinity, onto the next generation. That’s our generational fandom.
What do you think it is that keeps the next generation coming to the Harlem Globetrotters live events around the world?
Joy, Hope, Love, Possibility, Laughter, Goodwill….rinse and repeat. While ingredients are the same… the job is to keep it feeling fresh for new audiences across the various decades.
How has your time at Nickelodeon guided your direction as the CEO of Harlem Globetrotters?
At Nickelodeon we spent an enormous amount of time with research (deeply understanding the audience) and nurturing (and developing) our hits. You have to understand the consumer in order to know how to best connect with them.
Once you have a hit (e.g. SpongeBob) then it’s about how do you grow it…expand it. SpongeBob started off as a show, but it became a massive consumer products hit, a theatrical movie, a Broadway show, a video game, globally distributed, etc.
That’s the vision for the Harlem Globetrotters. We aren’t solely a live tour. That’s just one of the ways that we are expressed. We are a beloved global entertainment brand that needs to be expressed down all of the pathways that the consumer resides in. We are excited that we’ve been able to bring that kind of activity to life around the brand.
What can viewers expect to see on the FAST Channel? Can you share your thoughts on the archive footage?
We have a tremendous library of content that folks have not seen and we have new content that we’ve recently produced. A FAST channel gives us an “always on” environment for audiences to consume Harlem Globetrotters content whenever they want. Fans will now have a vehicle to see the great Harlem Globetrotters stars of yesterday’s past as well as connect and get to know our new stars of the present. It will all be there (e.g. games, docs, long form, short form, etc.) in one great Harlem Globetrotters branded environment.
The 2025 World Tour was announced recently. What should fans be excited to see when they attend the upcoming events?
Joy, Hope, Love, Possibility, Laughter, Goodwill! More of what they already love!
If you were to sum up the Harlem Globetrotters brand and legacy in a sentence, what would it be?
Ambassadors of Goodwill.
About Keith Dawkins
Keith Dawkins, a seasoned executive with a diverse background in media, entertainment, sports, and philanthropy, is the current President of both the Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios. He is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of both organizations. Dawkins has spearheaded the Harlem Globetrotters’ transformation into a global branded entertainment force, expanding their reach across various media platforms and strategic partnerships. He has successfully revitalized the brand, leading initiatives in corporate social responsibility, digital and social media, and content creation. Dawkins is also the founder of Rock Hill Media Ventures, a company focused on media, entertainment, sports, and social impact. His previous roles include CEO of The First Tee and General Manager of Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons Network. Dawkins’ extensive experience and strategic leadership have contributed to the success of various organizations and initiatives.