# Higher Ground Becomes Executive Producer of Basketball Podcast The Young Man and the Three

> Higher Ground, founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, becomes executive producer and creative partner of The Young Man and the Three, returning Thursday.

- Published: 2026-10-14T16:34:12+00:00
- Section: Partnerships
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-14/higher-ground-young-man-and-the-three-podcast
- Source: [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/higher-ground-basketball-podcast-young-man-and-the-three-1236729859/)

## Key takeaways

- Higher Ground is partnering with The Young Man and the Three as executive producer and creative partner.
- The podcast returns for its new season on Thursday with guests Jalen Williams, Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell.
- Higher Ground produced 24 projects during its Netflix partnership period from 2018 to 2026.

[Higher Ground](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00058a6/higher-ground), the media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, is partnering with the basketball podcast The Young Man and the Three as its executive producer and creative partner, [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/higher-ground-basketball-podcast-young-man-and-the-three-1236729859/) reported. The podcast, hosted by Tommy Alter, returns for its new season on Thursday with guests including Jalen Williams, Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell.

## Higher Ground's Role on The Young Man and the Three

Higher Ground takes on the roles of executive producer and creative partner on The Young Man and the Three, a show hosted by Tommy Alter. The podcast was a spinoff of The Old Man and the Three, which Alter co-founded with now-Lakers coach JJ Redick. Barack Obama is a former guest on the show.

Higher Ground has produced basketball programming before, including the Netflix docuseries Starting 5 and the Olympics-focused Court of Gold. Dan Fierman, head of podcasts at Higher Ground, said the company sees the show as a fit with its existing output.

"YM3 has built a special basketball platform that feels deeply connected to the people, personalities and culture around the game," Fierman said. "Because basketball has always been an important part of the Higher Ground ecosystem, this is a particularly exciting fit for us."

Alter said the Obamas' support of the sport made the partnership notable. "There are not many bigger NBA and WNBA supporters on earth than the Obamas, and President Obama's appearance on the inaugural episode of the show was an amazing springboard for the show and its growing community," he said.

## Higher Ground's Podcast and Production Record

Higher Ground is a Los Angeles-based media production company founded in 2018 by Barack and Michelle Obama, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The company produced 24 projects during its Netflix partnership period from 2018 to 2026, and its productions have collected three Oscar nominations and 12 Emmy nominations.

In June 2026, Higher Ground partnered with Audible, The History Channel and Pushkin Industries on the podcast Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise, tied to America's 250th anniversary. The same records list a June 2026 partnership with HBO to distribute the sketch comedy series Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, co-created by Larry David and Barack Obama.

## Higher Ground's Recent Deals Before YM3

Higher Ground's move into the basketball podcast follows a run of partnerships. In June 2026, Higher Ground added the food and culture podcast Expense Account to its network for its second season, The Hollywood Reporter reported. That same month, Higher Ground entered a partnership with Disney to develop an original animated fantasy series titled Journey, according to Black Enterprise.

In July 2026, Higher Ground backed the Netflix comedy Women Like Us, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams and Vivica A. Fox, TheGrio reported. Higher Ground also co-produced the Broadway revival of David Auburn's play Proof, with performances starting March 31, Broadway reported.

## The Young Man and the Three's Return

The Young Man and the Three returns for its new season on Thursday, with Jalen Williams, Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell among the guests.

## Companies in this story

- [Higher Ground company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00058a6/higher-ground) · website: https://www.highergroundmedia.com

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