Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster will star in a new gaming show called "Catchin' W's with JuJu," which premiered on Friday night on livestreaming platform Caffeine.
Caffeine has ordered 16 episodes of the new series, which will feature Smith-Schuster playing video games with other celebrities, including other athletes, prominent gamers and entertainers. Production company Bright Bay Creative, who are based in Burbank, California -- where Caffeine acquired the studio formerly owned by ESL -- have signed on to produce the series.
The show will appear weekly at 7 p.m. ET on the streaming platform.
Smith-Schuster is the latest prominent celebrity to sign on with Caffeine. The company also has deals with Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton and rapper Offset. In September 2018, the Murdoch family-owned Fox Corporation invested $100 million in Caffeine. Kuzma, Sexton and Offset will also have their own series on Caffeine.
"The thing I love most about streaming is being able to engage with my fans-it feels like we're all hanging out in one room together even though we're all over the world," Smith-Schuster said in a statement. "I'm excited to be on Caffeine and have the fans watch me game, talk some trash and see me get these W's against my friends."
The deal with Caffeine is the next notch in Smith-Schuster's gaming influencer career. In February 2018, Smith-Schuster became an ambassador of FaZe Clan, the high-profile gaming team and lifestyle brand. He also signed a two-year deal with gaming hardware company HyperX in August. On Tuesday, Smith-Schuster made news when he said, during while with Taylor "THump" Humphries, that he was paid $100,000 to co-stream the Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears Thursday Night Football game on Twitch.
"We're beyond excited to welcome JuJu, Collin, Kyle, and Doja Cat and their fans to Caffeine," Caffeine CEO Ben Keighran said in a press release. "We're creating a better way for entertainers, gamers, and athletes to create live content and connect with their communities, and we're excited to see these creators start contributing our growing community."