The Players’ Tribune & Billboard: Switching Stages Presented by T-Mobile

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Switching Stages, an innovative digital series from The Players’ Tribune and Billboard, (sponsored by T-Mobile) explores the intrinsic connection between sports and music by pairing top-tier athletes with renowned musicians for a crash course in each other's worlds. Rooted in the central concept of connection, the series was a natural fit for presenting sponsor T-Mobile, strategically tapping into their talent partnerships and launching around key tentpole moments. Moving beyond traditional interviews, this experiential format challenges cultural icons to step outside their comfort zones, yielding highly engaging moments of vulnerability and authentic, cross-cultural storytelling.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

This series represents “Excellence in Engagement” because it goes beyond a regular brand integration - bringing raw authenticity & genuine brand connection together to deeply resonate with audiences. Fans are infatuated with the lives of artists & athletes, constantly looking to further connect with the individuals they idealize. And while these audiences are always looking for more from their favorite sports/culture figures, they're also painfully aware of when content is ‘branded’ - making it feel inauthentic & forced. By creating a series that seamlessly brings the key ethos of all organizations involved together - TPT’s authenticity, Billboard’s authority in entertainment & T-Mobile’s core message of connection - Switching Stages sets a new standard for all content.  

Placing these culturally-dominant figures in vulnerable, unfamiliar situations - like a pop star learning gymnastics or a point guard rapping in the booth - Switching Stages reminds us that regardless of public profile or exceptional talent, they are all human beings eager to connect with others, try new things & explore passions.

This work will inspire the industry to evolve past siloed interviews & embrace truly immersive, collaborative storytelling. By empowering icons to leave no stone unturned & share their authentic, multi-faceted passions, Switching Stages proves that the most impactful fan engagement stems from genuine human connection.

Objective

Today, athletes are recognized as much more than just their stats or highlight reels. They're multi-dimensional cultural influencers who heavily influence their fans' music tastes, clothing choices, lifestyle trends & more. 

The world of sport has always intersected with other areas of culture, often driving cultural & societal thought throughout history. This is true now more than ever as sport blends with music, fashion, politics & more. As a wave of content at these intersections flood the feeds of fans, the foundation TPT has built lends itself to the most authentic form of sports culture content. In 2025 TPT partnered with the leading music media outlet Billboard to create a visual content series, Switching Stages, that boldly showcases the intrinsic connection between sports & music. Because this series highlights the shared energy that brings these two worlds together, Switching Stages was a natural fit for presenting sponsor T-Mobile, seamlessly aligning the brand's core mission of connectivity.

Switching Stages pairs together athletes & musicians to explore their shared connections in their own spaces - moving beyond traditional interviews &  bringing them out of their comfort-zones. The series authentically pulls back the curtain on what fuels both athletes & artists bringing fans closer than ever to the celebrities they love. 

Strategy & Execution

With the modern fan in mind, Switching Stages took a 360-degree approach to storytelling by focusing on authentic, cross-cultural collaboration - highlighting the connectivity between sport & music/athlete & musician. It's this connectivity that made the series a perfect fit for T-Mobile, who was looking to showcase their core message of connectivity to new audiences in unique ways. 

With T-Mobile on board, the series was able to strategically tap into existing T-Mobile talent partnerships bringing together key athletes & today’s hottest musicians - Trae Young (NBA) & Quavo (rapper), Jordan Chiles (Olympian) & Normani (singer) - to explore each other’s passions. These pairs were placed in the studio, on the court & on the balance beam - combining storytelling with visually engaging challenges, allowing audiences to witness raw, unfiltered moments of connection, trial & triumph in a playful manner. 

The episodes launched around key cultural tentpoles, further enhancing the central theme of connection & bringing the series to the forefront of the sports/culture conversation. The series lives on both TPT & Billboard websites & YouTube channels, & was shared across social media by both brands & the athletes/musicians themselves. This multi-channel approach created a unified experience allowing fans to witness the unique connectivity between two entertainment pillars & successfully brought T-Mobile's mission of unparalleled connectivity to life.

Organizations

• The Players’ Tribune

  Billboard

  T-Mobile

  Initiative

Links

•   Website

Featured

• 4x NBA All-Star Trae Young

  Rapper

• songwriter & producer Quavo

  Olympic gold medalist gymnast Jordan Chiles

  Singer

• songwriter & dancer Normani 

Credits

Michelle Dommer
Sr. Manager, Advertising
T-Mobile

Hector Garcia Rivera
Sr. Manager, Advertising
T-Mobile

Zachary Nobinger
Sr Manager, Entertainment Marketing
T-Mobile

Lauren McCann
Sr. Entertainment Marketing Manager
T-Mobile

Katrina Motsinger
Sr. Manager, Media
T-Mobile

Jessica Lucas
Sr. Media Manager
T-Mobile

Valerie Krause
Sr. Creative Strategy Manager
T-Mobile

Jessica Drake
Sr. Group Director, Digital Partnerships
Initiative

Stephanie Walker-Kulp
Director, Digital Partnerships
Initiative

Crystal Land
Associate Director, Digital Partnerships
Initiative

Isabelle Dosdos
Manager, Digital Partnerships
Initiative

Itzya Freyre
Sr. Negotiator, Digital Partnerships
Initiative

David Cordova
Sr. Group Director, Client Advice & Management
Initiative

Sean Harwood
Director, Content & Sponsorships
Initiative

Kelly Lange
Associate Director, Content & Sponsorships
Initiative

Ciara Diaz
Senior Program Manager
Billboard

Evan Burke
Producer, Branded Content
Billboard

Galina Stanton
Senior Account Manager
Billboard

Mateo Vergara
Line Producer
Billboard

Chris George
Editor, Editorial
Billboard

Camilo Molina
Editor, Branded Content
Billboard

Emiliano Styles
Producer/Editor
Billboard

Shira Brown
SVP, Video
Billboard

Corey Armend
Director, Brand Partnerships
Billboard

Katherine O'Malley Randall
SVP, Creative Strategy and Production Operations
Minute Media

Kara Criscione
Senior Director, Creative Strategy & Production Operations
Minute Media

Colby Sycoff
Athlete Relations and Partnerships Director
The Players' Tribune

Lisa Phillips Phillips
VP, Athlete Relations and Partnerships
The Players' Tribune

Taylor Baucom
VP, Creative Director
The Players' Tribune

Ramon Luciano Lopez
Senior Multimedia Designer
The Players' Tribune