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As part of a new partnership with a company founded by comedian, actor and entrepreneur Kevin Hart, Pacers Sports & Entertainment will produce a music and comedy festival during this summer’s WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.
Production company Hartbeat will serve as the official “cultural curator” for Pacers Sports & Entertainment in a multiyear agreement announced Thursday by the parent company of the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever.
Joey Graziano, executive vice president of strategy and new business ventures at Pacers Sports & Entertainment, said Hartbeat is expected to produce live experiences in conjunction with key dates on the schedules of the NBA’s Pacers and the WNBA’s Fever, as well as during times when Indianapolis welcomes a sizable number of visitors for conventions and other sporting events.
“I think about finding some of the biggest weekends in the calendar,” Graziano said. “When you look at the weekends when we have visitors pouring into our city, we want to help make those weekends bigger and bolder. That’s certainly part of our DNA, as being one of the greatest major-event cities in the country.”
This year’s WNBA All-Star weekend is scheduled July 18-19 in Indianapolis, with the All-Star Game planned for July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Details about the music and comedy festival will be announced in coming weeks, Graziano said. It’s too early to say if Hart, known for film roles in “Ride Along” and “Central Intelligence,” will appear onstage during WNBA All-Star weekend.
The Philadelphia native served as guest announcer during TNT’s Feb. 16 telecast of the NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco.
In Indianapolis, the venue or venues hosting the WNBA All-Star weekend music and comedy festival won’t include Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Graziano said.
“While WNBA All-Star inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse is going to be focused on the greatest women’s basketball players on Earth participating in some of the most serious and fun basketball competitions, we are going to use this partnership to bring other options into the city for our fans to be able to experience the energy and excitement of All-Star weekend,” Graziano said. “We’re purposely making sure the comedy and music festival is outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse so we show this is the city’s partnership as much as it is Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s.”
For more information about WNBA All-Star festivities, visit fever.wnba.com.
Beyond WNBA All-Star weekend, Hartbeat and Pacers Sports & Entertainment will be partners for stand-up comedy shows, concerts, halftime shows, scripted content and merchandise collaborations. Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Bicentennial Unity Plaza will be included among event sites, Graziano said.
In 2024, Hartbeat co-produced “The Roast of Tom Brady” that streamed at Netflix. For the Peacock streaming platform, Hartbeat worked on the “Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart & Kenan Thompson” show and limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.”
Graziano said Pacers Sports & Entertainment has goals that include the Indiana Fever—a squad featuring 2024 All-Star selections Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell—becoming known as “America’s Team” and Indianapolis becoming known as the epicenter for women’s sports.
“When you think across our two brands [the Pacers and Fever], we have global brands,” he said. “This is a global moment, and we have a lot of interest in partners who are excited to help us find more ways to bring those brands to fans every single night.”
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Indy is definitely playing in the BIG leagues when it comes to sports and entertainment. Keep up the good work at bringing new and exciting things to the city.
Hart is a money machine
Oh, this is so cool! I love it!