How I Marketed ‘Jump Shot: The Kenny Sailors Story,’ Executive Produced by Steph Curry
One of the most rewarding campaigns I’ve led was the digital release of Jump Shot: The Kenny Sailors Story. This inspiring basketball documentary tells the story of Kenny Sailors, the man credited with inventing the modern jump shot. The film was Executive Produced by Stephen Curry and featured interviews with legends like Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki.
As Director of Marketing at Utopia Distribution, I was responsible for building and executing the full digital strategy. That included audience targeting, cross-platform ad campaigns, email and content strategy, influencer partnerships, and analytics. What made this campaign even more challenging and meaningful was that we launched it during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced us to pivot from a traditional theatrical release to a fully digital model.
My Approach to Digital Film Marketing
Audience Segmentation and YouTube Targeting
I started by identifying key audience segments across YouTube, Meta, and Instagram. These included:
Basketball fans and NBA followers
Sports documentary audiences
Motivational and faith-driven communities
Film lovers who engage with indie and legacy stories
This allowed us to tailor the creative to different audience types and test multiple versions of our trailers, cutdowns, and ad copy to see what performed best.
Retargeting and Warm Funnel Strategy
We installed tracking pixels across our landing pages, email links, and ad destinations. I used this data to build retargeting audiences based on video views, trailer engagements, and site visits.
From there, I launched warm funnel campaigns that re-engaged high-intent users with follow-up content and strong calls to action. This lowered our cost per conversion and kept momentum going during the days leading up to the release.
Collaborating with Steph Curry’s Team on Creative
Steph Curry’s involvement brought instant credibility, but we still had to execute. I worked directly with his team to align on tone, positioning, and platform-specific assets. We developed quote cards, branded video snippets, and social captions that reflected Steph’s personal brand and the heart of the story.
We pushed creative across Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and email with variations optimized for each platform’s behavior and audience habits.
Launching a Custom TVOD Platform During COVID
Originally, the film was slated for a theatrical release. Once theaters shut down, we had to move quickly. I helped oversee the launch of a custom transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) platform that allowed viewers to rent or purchase the film directly.
This shift gave us more control over:
The viewing experience
Audience data and purchase behavior
Revenue splits that favored the filmmakers
Instead of relying on third-party streamers, we were able to create a branded, frictionless path to purchase.
Results and Takeaways
Despite launching in the middle of a global shutdown, Jump Shot grossed $50,000 in its opening weekend. Our digital-first strategy allowed us to reach basketball fans, inspire new audiences, and build long-tail interest around the film.
Key takeaways from this campaign:
Precise audience targeting beats broad reach
Warm funnel retargeting builds better ROI
Creative collaboration with talent teams can elevate campaigns
Owning the distribution path through custom platforms gives flexibility and better margins
Even niche stories can perform when the strategy is aligned
If you’re a filmmaker, distributor, or producer looking to market a documentary or launch a digital release, I can help build a strategy that’s audience-first and performance-focused.
📩 Contact: jpollak0288@gmail.com
🌐 Website: www.jasonpollakmarketing.com
