Mike Basone

Mike Basone is a visionary media executive and filmmaker whose work sits at the intersection of sports, storytelling, and culture. As founder and CEO of Victory Road Studios, he brings a distinctive voice to sports entertainment—crafting stories that resonate far beyond the game.

With a background spanning scripted and unscripted formats across film, television, and digital platforms, Mike has developed and produced content for many of the world’s leading distributors, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, ESPN, HBO, FOX Sports, A&E, NBC Sports, and the Olympic Channel.

Prior to launching Victory Road Studios, Mike served as SVP and Head of Unscripted at both NEO Studios and Whistle Studios. In these roles, he oversaw the full content lifecycle—from creative development and packaging to sales and production—helping shape a generation of sports-focused storytelling that blended cinematic ambition with cultural relevance.

Mike’s recent credits reflect his passion for stories with heart, grit, and global appeal. He created, showran, and executive produced Legacy: In the Shadow of Greatness (Discovery+), a Rockie Award-nominated docuseries executive produced by Dwyane Wade that explores the pressures of living in the footsteps of sports legends. He also created and executive produced the NAACP Image and Realscreen Award-nominated Benedict Men (Roku Original) with Steph Curry, and the groundbreaking series Breakthrough: Women Changing the Game (InsightTV, Prime Video), highlighting trailblazing female athletes. Mike co-created, voiced, and executive produced the Webby-nominated hit digital animated series Rabid Fans, and executive produced and directed the 4-part documentary series Strongman: The Brian Shaw Story on VictoryRoad+, the new streaming platform built by Victory Road Studios. Other notable projects include Next Man Up: The NFL Alumni Academy (Prime Video) and the Gold Telly Award-winning Life After (Prime Video), which explores the personal reinventions of former professional athletes.

Earlier in his career, Mike worked as a Creative Executive with acclaimed feature film producer Mark Ciardi, contributing to the development and production of the political drama Chappaquiddick and helping bring to life the high-octane basketball format Fightball—the world’s most intense 1v1 competition in sports entertainment.

Driven by a deep belief in the emotional power of sport, Mike has built a reputation for finding humanity in competition, creating narratives that challenge, inspire, and endure. His work continues to shape how athletes are seen—not just as competitors, but as cultural protagonists.