Words + Pictures takes minority stake in JV prodco led by basketball star Chris Paul

L-R: Jacqueline Taylor, CJ Paul and Chris Paul

Words + Pictures, the LA-based prodco owned by Peter Chernin’s The North Road Company, is backing the launch of a new production company from American basketball player Chris Paul and his brother and business partner CJ Paul.

Ohh Dip!!! Entertainment will focus on both unscripted and scripted content, including TV series, films, docs, live events, podcasts and commercials.

Words + Pictures, led by CEO and founder Connor Schell, said it had made a “substantial” equity investment, giving it a minority stake in the joint venture. The Paul brothers are the majority owners in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed.

CJ Paul will serve as president of Ohh Dip!!! Productions, with Jacqueline Taylor as VP of development and operations. Chris Paul currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs and has previously played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets.

On top of the partnership, Ohh Dip!!! Entertainment also inked a first-look deal with Words + Pictures, which is behind recent projects including Celtics City (HBO Max), Court of Gold (Netflix) and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (HBO Max).

The Paul brothers said the deal would allow them to “work with a creative leader in the space and know Connor and the Words + Pictures and North Road teams are the right partners for the stories we want to tell.”

Schell added: “[Chris] and CJ have an ambitious, exciting plan for the content they want to produce and the impact they want to make.”