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All-American: Venus & Serena is set to premiere on X (formerly Twitter) in August
Sisters Serena and Venus Williams are stepping into the podcasting space. Picture: Frank Micelotta / Getty Images
Respected former tennis players and sisters Venus and Serena Williams are the latest famous names to step into the podcast space, having announced their plans on Tuesday.
“We’re so excited to be launching our new podcast, a place where we will share our personal stories, have authentic conversations, spotlight important topics, and laugh a lot,” the Williams sisters said in a joint statement.
The podcast All-American: Venus & Serena will surprisingly premiere on X (formerly Twitter) in August. The platform, acquired and rebranded by Elon Musk in 2022, now serves as the show’s primary launchpad.
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Surprise choice of X
Since X was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk, a figure known for attracting both strong support and criticism, several prominent celebrities announced their departure from X, opting to migrate to Bluesky.
Leading up to the 2024 US election, several X users felt that the platform was promoting far-right ideologies and personalities.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, actress Jaime Lee Curtis, and actress Gabrielle Union deactivated their accounts late last year, and former Charmed actress Alyssa Milano also deactivated her X account.
US publication The Guardian, which has about 27 million followers combined, announced its plans in November to stop engaging with the platform.
The Newspaper cited its worry about “far-right conspiracy theories” and racism. It alleged the presidential election confirmed “X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”
Serena has more than 10 million followers on X, while her older sister has 1.6 million followers.
“Venus and Serena are among the most recognisable and revered athletes in the world, and their decision to team up with X places them at the centre of our rapidly evolving original content strategy,” said head of original content at X, Mitchell Smith.
X’s programming roster includes personalities and franchises such as Khloe Kardashian’s Khloe in Wonderland and sports broadcaster Jim Rome’s The Jungle.
X also had a partnership with the WNBA to livestream games during the 2024 season, reaching 5 million viewers.
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