The film Air, from director and star Ben Affleck, is the story of how one of the most iconic sneakers in history was born: the Nike Air Jordan. It is also, in another sense, the story of how a small company (at the time) signed the man who was to become pop culture’s biggest star: Michael Jordan.
Only Hollywood could make a sports drama about 1980s capitalism in which the underdog is a multi-millionaire titan of industry, and make it so exciting, with its contradictions and cultural baggage.
A film that tells one of the most interesting stories in the industry
Air tells the story of the incredible and revolutionary partnership between Michael Jordan – an NBA rookie at the time – and Nike’s fledgling basketball division that revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand.
It tells of the bold gamble that defined the career of an unconventional team, the relentless vision of a mother who knows the value of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenomenon that would become the greatest of all time.
Hard as it may be to believe now, in 1984 Nike was a distant third in the basketball shoe market, with a market share that paled next to Converse and Adidas, the dominators at the time.
Ben Affleck plays Phil Knight, the Nike CEO who was once again the topic of conversation for being the only person in the Staples Center who wasn’t using his smartphone while Lebron James broke the NBA scoring record (here’s the tweet reflecting that moment).
And Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike scout in charge of luring new NBA players to sponsorship deals, and giving the brand the boost it desperately needs to be competitive.
The problem is that Converse had heavyweights like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird on its roster, and all the guys wanted to wear Adidas, including Jordan, who was willing to sign with the German sportswear giant.
In the world of sports and fashion this moment is almost as momentous as Nike’s signing of Venus Williams and Serena Williams was later. Or when Uniqlo snapped up Roger Federer in 2018.
But they don’t even carry the weight that Jordan’s signature had in that first contract.
When will it arrive on the platform and which one will be chosen?
After talking about the synopsis and the importance that this deal had directly in our popular culture, it is time to move on to the next point: in which service will we be able to enjoy Air on television and when?
To the second we have no answer or official statement, although we can follow the current logic that several platforms are carrying out. Disney+ and HBO Max are bringing movies to their services about 45 days after their theatrical release.
This means that until the week of May 22 we wouldn’t have it on TV. And then we have the second and no lesser melon: which platform will the movie come out on first?
While it will most likely be available on Prime Video, Movistar or Apple TV+ (it is common for it to arrive on these platforms in rental format), we are now talking about the service that will include it in its catalog for free.
If we pay attention to the film’s IMDb file, Air is produced by Amazon Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. This leaves us with the big question of whether it will arrive first as an exclusive to Prime Video or HBO Max.
Right now we have no confirmation or indications, but we can assure you that it will arrive on one of these two services, although we could see a landing on both platforms or some similar formula that satisfies both.
Along with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and John Wick 4, Air is the most anticipated film of the first half of 2023. What a year.
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
