Religion of Sports, the Emmy Award-winning sports media company founded by director and producer Gotham Chopra, American football legend and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, has acquired Jiva Maya, a U.K.-based production company formed in 2020 by writer and director Manish Pandey (“Senna,” “Grand Prix Driver,” “Lucky!”).
The deal marks the second company that was brought underneath the ROS umbrella, following the acquisition of Main Event Media earlier this year.
The combined company plans to significantly expand its work in global football, cricket, and motorsport, especially Formula 1, for which Pandey is known.
“Jiva Maya allows us to plant a flag in Europe for ROS, engaging a new cadre of creators, producers and distribution networks,” said Ameeth Sankaran, CEO of Religion of Sports.
“Manish and his team have enabled us to do that in a distinct and unique way that will allow us to grow with the same DNA of ultra premium content which transcends and inspires.”
Established in 2020, Jiva Maya team has created a library of sports content, such as “Lucky!,” a TV series about Formula 1, featuring interviews with and narrated by former F1 chief executive officer, Bernie Ecclestone, and created and directed by Pandey.
His work as a writer includes other F1-related work such as “Senna,” based on the life of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, “Grand Prix Driver” for Amazon, and “Heroes” for The Motorsport Network.
“We are incredibly excited to be joining forces with Ameeth, Gotham and the entire team at Religion of Sports,” Pandey said. “Together, our joint company will continue to epitomize best-in-class storytelling, helping viewers appreciate the human condition and, in the process, learn more about themselves.”
Also joining Religion of Sports from the Jiva Maya team are:
- Chris Sharp, who has over 35 years of media experience producing over 100 nonfiction programs including two AVOD entertainment services in the U.K., Germany, Austria and Switzerland;
- William Campbell, who brings 30 years of production and distribution experience across more than 100 global entertainment and sports programs;
- Mark Harvey, who has over 20 years of experience in live sports production, sports documentaries and films, and was a member of the BAFTA winning Sky Sports cricket production teams in 2013 and 2015;
- John Miller, who worked in programming at Sky Sports and brings more than 15 years of experience in live and sports documentary production;
- Christopher Armstrong, an editor and director who has over 20 years of industry experience in sports, features and shorts with a special interest in cricket and motorsport.
With the acquisition, Jiva Maya will become ROS’ European-based production arm and lead on developing global stories across football, motorsport, cricket and beyond.