Could Chris Bosh save the music industry?

Ok maybe that’s a bold statement, but the Toronto Raptors face of the franchise and Warner Music Canada announced today that they’re teaming up on an incredibly unique venture that shines light on another creative way the music industry may bust out of its slump.

I’ve written about the music industry’s need to adapt in this space before, but we’re not going to re-hash that today. As a matter of fact, I didn’t think I’d be writing about the music industry today at all. However, I had set my calendar as Bosh had let his fans know he was going to be making a “major announcement” at his website on June 1. While many fans assumed this would have something to do with his contract status with the Raptors, I had always assumed it would have to do with his burgeoning media career. But I certainly didn’t expect this.

While the details aren’t yet crystal clear, what is known is that Bosh, Warner and iTunes have teamed up to leverage Bosh’s charismatic personality, well-targeted fan base, and growing media savvy to sell hip hop music and a very unique DVD. True to Bosh’s collaborative style that saw an ESPN fan poll name him the Most Viral Athlete in the World, his CD will be a compilation of beats submitted by fans through his website, Chris-Bosh.com.

Perhaps even more exciting, Bosh will be creating a special DVD featuring original documentary content back home with Bosh in Dallas, and new comedic material starring Bosh’s own original characters from his YouTube channel, CB4TV (you’ve gotta love Blane Harrington).  In addition to starring in th DVD, Bosh will also Executive Produce, along with his business partner at Max Deal Technologies, Hadi Teherany. The pair have already been developing digital and social media content for athletes and celebrities since 2007, but this is a leap forward for the company.

Tying all of this together will be an iPhone app, produced by another Toronto shop, OneMethod. The first for a professional athlete, the app will not only track Bosh’s stats on the court, but also grant instant access to newly posted videos, Bosh’s often-insightful Twitter feed, and “more” according to the App Store description.

While the sports guy in me would’ve been excited to get some basketball-related news on Bosh’s site today, the media nerd inside me was thrilled to read about this partnership. This unique collaboration is just the sort of niche market capitalization that will be needed as old industries like music, but also television and newspaper, are going to need to look for to survive and thrive in the future. It’s also a great example of how, even at the scale of an NBA superstar, a national record label and a worldwide brand like iTunes, a targeted partnership can be an incredible way to generate media interest, drive new business, and gain new audiences for all parties.

Making even sweeter is that the model is just another example of a new and innovative media content idea, relevant on a global scale that came out of Toronto. I’m sure it won’t be the last.

Go go Raptors. Let’s go Bosh.  Well played.