by Madison Dors, Student Public Relations Writer
For many filmmakers and sports media professionals, seeing their work featured on Netflix or ESPN represents the pinnacle of success. For Ernest Toh, however, it became the beginning of a larger mission.
Toh, a 2022 Cedarville University graduate in sport business management, leveraged the experience he gained since graduation to found 3i Creatives, a Malaysia-based media company focused on producing high-quality, human-centered sports storytelling for brands and organizations in his home country of Malaysia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Toh founded the company with Ian Chan, a 2025 Cedarville graduate in broadcasting, digital media, and journalism Toh met while studying at Cedarville. Together, the two alumni are combining their professional experiences with a vision to strengthen the growing sports media industry in Malaysia.
Cedarville Graduates Build Sports Media Company in Malaysia
Toh said his Cedarville professors equipped him with both practical business knowledge and a biblical worldview that continues to guide his career.
"Having great professors played a key part in my growth,” said Toh. “Their approach was simple: Learn all there is to learn, then stand out for Christ in a world that so desperately needs Him.”
Netflix and ESPN Experience Shapes Vision for Sports Storytelling
While serving on the creative team for the University of South Carolina athletics department, Toh discovered that the most impactful content extends beyond highlights and statistics. Instead, he found that authentic storytelling creates meaningful emotional connections between athletics and fans.
That perspective deepened when he worked alongside the producers of Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” during production of the college football documentary series “Any Given Saturday.” The University of South Carolina was selected as one of the featured programs, giving Toh and the University’s creative team the opportunity to work alongside the production crew by providing location recommendations, supporting story development and contributing footage that appeared on both Netflix and ESPN. The experience reinforced the value of documentary-style storytelling that emphasizes people rather than simply competition.
"After working on ‘Any Given Saturday,’ I started to dream about taking the skills I had built overseas to grow the media industry in Malaysia, specifically in sport brands and lifestyles. I realized that as much as people love watching games, sports connected with people on a deeper level when they were able to relate to the athletes’ stories.”
Returning to Malaysia to Launch 3i Creatives
After returning to Malaysia in 2025, Toh partnered with Chan to establish 3i Creatives. The company officially registered as a Malaysian business in January 2026 and now specializes in sports media production, commercial content, photography, videography and digital storytelling.
“Ian and I both have a deep passion for quality storytelling in sports and lifestyle,” said Toh. “Working in the States broadened our perspectives, and we can’t wait to continue to share what we learned with other creatives, growing the visual media community in Malaysia through our projects.”
Sports Media Production Expands Across the Asia-Pacific Region
One of the company’s early accomplishments came in May, when 3i Creatives produced multimedia content for the PERODUA Malaysia Masters, an internationally recognized badminton tournament. The team captured event photography, created YouTube highlight packages and produced the tournament’s post-tournament sponsor video, demonstrating its ability to deliver professional content for major sporting events.
“Moving back and deciding to embark on this journey of entrepreneurship in an environment I have been away from for so long has brought some uncertainty with it, but I am excited to be back and have the opportunity to impact my home country,” said Toh.
Cedarville Alumni Advance Human-Centered Storytelling
Today, Toh and Chan continue investing in 3i Creatives with the goal of helping athletes, brands and organizations tell compelling stories that inspire audiences throughout Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region. Through their work, the Cedarville alumni hope to elevate the region’s sports media industry while demonstrating how meaningful storytelling can create lasting connections across cultures.
About Cedarville University
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
