4 things you didn't know about LeBron James's business empire

LeBron James is more than just a basketball superstar. The four-time MVP is also the co-founder of Uninterrupted, a multimedia venture that offers viewers documentaries, web series, and podcasts about their favorite athletes.

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James teamed up with business partner Maverick Carter to launch Uninterrupted on Christmas Day in 2014. Backed by more than $15 million from Warner Bros. and Turner Sports unit, the two built an empire around athletes, focusing on the moments, words, or emotions that could often be ignored by traditional media outlets.

"We do the normal media bunch, but sometimes they only give you what they want people to hear," James told Re/code back in June 2015. "I talked to Maverick, I told him, 'I want to give [my fans] the uncut, unedited version right then and there of what my thoughts are.'"

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Here are four things you probably didn't know about Uninterrupted:

1. Origin stories

James and his partner Carter are childhood friends and long-time business partners. Carter has negotiated many endorsement deals for James including Beats Electronics, Verizon Communications and Coca-Cola (Sprite), according to Forbes.

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2. James is anything but camera-shy

While James is one of the brains behind the company, he often appears in front of Uninterrupted's camera. In April, James went on the web series "Kneading Dough" and explained how he turned down $10 million from Reebok CEO Paul Fireman in 2003--on the condition that he wouldn't take future meetings with Adidas or Nike. What's more, he appeared on Uninterrupted's latest project "The Shop," a 30-minute talk show set in a barbershop.

3. Keeping costs low

Despite the famous players who appear in Uninterrupted's content, the buzziest release on Uninterrupted had little to do with money. The Cleveland Cavaliers' show "Road Trippin," that costs little to produce, according to The Wall Street Journal, was one of the company's most anticipated releases.

4. Taking it to the bank

Athletes who make programs through Uninterrupted get access to resources to develop, promote and distribute their content, according to the Journal. Uninterrupted also gives athletes a cut of revenues from licensing or sponsorship deals, but the company declined to tell The Wall Street Journal which athletes own equity stakes.

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