ESPN Films
Encyclopedia
ESPN Films is a production company owned by ESPN
that produces and distributes sports film
s and documentaries
.
s, series, documentaries and movies that aired on ESPN and its related networks. (See list below)
For several months starting in 2007, it ceased operations. With the exception of the daily talk show Jim Rome is Burning
, the EOE logo did not appear on any ESPN programs.
, David Beckham
and Peyton Manning
in addition to many movie and television
stars.
The first production to be branded "ESPN Films" is Black Magic, a four-hour documentary about the history of basketball
as played at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
. It aired on March 16 and 17 on ESPN without commercial interruptions.
Their first theatrical film is X Games 3D: The Movie
, which was released on August 21, 2009.
On October 6, 2009, ESPN began airing ESPN Films' 30 for 30
, a 30-hour series to mark 30 years of the original network. Among those participating in the project are Spike Lee
, Richard Linklater
, Barry Levinson
, and Mike Tollin
.
Another significant change is that ESPN Films will make movies for theatrical release as well as for television, as MTV
and Nickelodeon
already do. Walt Disney Studio Entertainment
will have the right of first refusal
on all projects.
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
that produces and distributes sports film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s and documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
.
History
EOE began in 2001. It produced various talk showTalk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s, series, documentaries and movies that aired on ESPN and its related networks. (See list below)
For several months starting in 2007, it ceased operations. With the exception of the daily talk show Jim Rome is Burning
Jim Rome is Burning
Jim Rome Is Burning, originally titled Rome Is Burning and often abbreviated as JRIB, is a sports conversation and opinion show hosted by Jim Rome. Debuting on May 6, 2003 as Rome Is Burning, it was originally a once a week show in primetime at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday nights on ESPN...
, the EOE logo did not appear on any ESPN programs.
Revamp
In the first week of March 2008, ESPN announced that this service would change its name to "ESPN Films". In addition, ESPN announced a new alliance with Creative Artists Agency, which represents such athletes as LeBron JamesLeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
, David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
and Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
in addition to many movie and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
stars.
The first production to be branded "ESPN Films" is Black Magic, a four-hour documentary about the history of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
as played at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
. It aired on March 16 and 17 on ESPN without commercial interruptions.
Their first theatrical film is X Games 3D: The Movie
X Games 3D: The Movie
X Games 3D: The Movie is an action sports/documentary 3-D film released on August 21, 2009 for one week only. It captures the drama and spectacle that play out every year at the X Games, highlighting the behind-the-scenes stories of the featured athletes and the sacrifices they make in pursuit of...
, which was released on August 21, 2009.
On October 6, 2009, ESPN began airing ESPN Films' 30 for 30
30 for 30
30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentaries airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The series, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that...
, a 30-hour series to mark 30 years of the original network. Among those participating in the project are Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
, Richard Linklater
Richard Linklater
-Early life:Linklater was born in Houston, Texas. He studied at Sam Houston State University and left midway through his stint in college to work on an off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. While working on the rig he read a lot of literature, but on land he developed a love of film through...
, Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
, and Mike Tollin
Mike Tollin
Michael "Mike" Tollin is an American film director and film/television producer. His career highlights included Radio, Coach Carter, and Varsity Blues. He frequently collaborates with Brian Robbins in which they own a production company together called Tollin/Robbins Productions...
.
Another significant change is that ESPN Films will make movies for theatrical release as well as for television, as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
already do. Walt Disney Studio Entertainment
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
will have the right of first refusal
Right of first refusal
Right of first refusal is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction with a third party...
on all projects.
Talk shows
- Around the HornAround the HornAround the Horn is a daily, half-hour sports roundtable on ESPN filmed in Washington, D.C. It airs at 5:00 pm ET, as part of a sports talk hour with Pardon the Interruption. The show is currently hosted by Tony Reali.-History:Around the Horn premiered on November 4, 2002, hosted by Max Kellerman...
(2002–present) - Cold PizzaCold PizzaCold Pizza was a television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2. The show's style was more akin to Good Morning America than SportsCenters straight news and highlights format. It included daily sports news, interviews with sports journalists, athletes, and personalities, and an...
(2003–2007) (now ESPN First TakeESPN First TakeESPN First Take is an American morning sports talk program on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The show was formerly known as Cold Pizza. The official switch was made on May 7, 2007. Two back-to-back two-hour episodes air each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m...
(2007–present)) - ESPN HollywoodESPN HollywoodESPN Hollywood was a television program that aired on ESPN2 in 2005. The daily 30-minute show was centered on the convergence between the sports and entertainment worlds, and was a part of the network's ESPN Original Entertainment programming effort, which was intended to spread the network's...
(2005–2006) - The Fantasy ShowThe Fantasy ShowThe Fantasy Show is a fantasy football talk and debate show on ESPN2. The show was supposed to air for 18 weeks a year during the National Football League season every Thursday at 6:30pm ET on ESPN2...
(2006) - Jim Rome Is BurningJim Rome is BurningJim Rome Is Burning, originally titled Rome Is Burning and often abbreviated as JRIB, is a sports conversation and opinion show hosted by Jim Rome. Debuting on May 6, 2003 as Rome Is Burning, it was originally a once a week show in primetime at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday nights on ESPN...
(2003–present) - Pardon the InterruptionPardon the InterruptionPardon the Interruption is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, ESPN America, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stories...
(2001–present) - Quite Frankly with Stephen A. SmithQuite Frankly with Stephen A. SmithQuite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith was a nightly one-hour television show on ESPN2 hosted by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and ESPN reporter Stephen A. Smith. The show premiered on August 1, 2005. It was cancelled on January 11, 2007 because of low ratings. Smith called the cancellation a...
(2005–2007)
Events
- ESPY AwardsESPY AwardsAn ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
(1993–present) - X GamesX GamesThe X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
(1995–present) - Winter X GamesX GamesThe X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
(1997–present) - World Series of PokerWorld Series of PokerThe World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(1988–present)
Reality
- Battle of the Gridiron StarsBattle of the Gridiron StarsBattle of the Gridiron Stars is a television show that airs on ESPN. It pits teams of National Football League players, one from the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference , against each other in various athletic events.The program, which takes its inspiration from the...
(2005–present) - Bonds on BondsBonds on BondsBonds on Bonds is a 10-part reality TV series starring former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds that aired on ESPN. The show revolved on the life of Bonds and his chase of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron's home run records...
(2006) - Bound for GloryBound for Glory (ESPN)Bound for Glory was a television show on ESPN, from October to December 2005. This show featured former Chicago Bear Dick Butkus coaching the suburban Pittsburgh Montour High School Spartans. The Spartans were a perennial Pennsylvania state champion contender in the 1950s and 1960s but have had...
(2005) - It's The Shoes
- Madden NationMadden NationMadden Nation is an American reality television show, created as a joint effort between EA SPORTS and ESPN Original Entertainment to take viewers inside the world of Madden NFL, a popular video game with over 10 million players worldwide. The series premiered on December 6, 2005 and is currently...
(2005–present) - Knight SchoolKnight School (TV series)Knight School is a television documentary produced by ESPN about a group of sixteen Texas Tech students trying to make coach Bob Knight's Red Raiders men's basketball team as a non-scholarship player for the 2006/07 NCAA season. The documentary chronicles their progress and gives insight into Bob...
(2006) - StreetballAND1 Mixtape TourThe AND1 Live Tour, formerly known as the AND1 Mixtape Tour, is a traveling basketball competition and exhibition presented by B-Ball and Company and the basketball apparel manufacturer AND1. A group of streetball players, along with Emcee Rell and B-Ball and Company CEO Linda Hill, travel from...
- The ContenderThe Contender (TV series)The Contender is a reality television series that follows a group of boxers as they compete with one another in an elimination-style competition, while their lives and relationships with each other and their families are depicted. Produced by Mark Burnett, the show is hosted by Sugar Ray Leonard,...
(2006–present) - The LifeThe Life (TV series)The Life was a documentary style series broadcast by ESPN in the early 2000s that followed athletes through their everyday lives.-Athletes profiled:*Bobby Convey*Kevin Garnett*Allen Iverson*LeBron James*Shaquille O'Neal*Brian Urlacher-Theme music:...
Documentaries
- Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (2006)
- Through the FireThrough the Fire (film)Through the Fire is a 2005 Documentary film. The movie focuses on Sebastian Telfair as he goes through his senior year at Abraham Lincoln High School in New York City...
(2005) - Kobe Doin' WorkKobe Doin' WorkKobe Doin' Work is a 2009 documentary film directed by Spike Lee. It focuses on Kobe Bryant during one day of the 2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season. Bryant granted filmmaker Spike Lee and 30 cameras unprecedented access to his life for one day...
(2009) - 30 for 3030 for 3030 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentaries airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The series, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that...
(2009–2010) - Wendell Scott: A Race Story (2011)
Films
- 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story3: The Dale Earnhardt Story3: The Dale Earnhardt Story is a 2004 television movie produced by ESPN documenting the life of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, his poor upbringing in Kannapolis, North Carolina, his rise to dominance in NASCAR, his relationship with his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and his death in the 2001 Daytona 500...
(2004) - A Season on the BrinkA Season on the Brink (film)A Season on the Brink is a 2002 film. Based on John Feinstein entitled A Season on the Brink which detailed the 1985-86 season of Indiana University's men's basketball team, led by the controversial coach Bobby Knight, the film became the first ESPN television movie, premiering on March 10,...
(2002) - Code Breakers (2005)
- Hustle (2004)
- RuffianRuffian (film)Ruffian is an American made-for-television movie that tells the story of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame Champion thoroughbred filly Ruffian who went undefeated until her death after breaking down in a nationally televised match race at Belmont Park on July 6, 1975 against the Kentucky Derby winner,...
(2007) - The Junction BoysJunction BoysThe Junction Boys is the name given to the “survivors” of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 10 day summer football camp in Junction, Texas beginning September 1, 1954...
(2002) - Four Minutes (2005)
- X Games 3D: The MovieX Games 3D: The MovieX Games 3D: The Movie is an action sports/documentary 3-D film released on August 21, 2009 for one week only. It captures the drama and spectacle that play out every year at the X Games, highlighting the behind-the-scenes stories of the featured athletes and the sacrifices they make in pursuit of...
(2009) - SennaSenna (film)Senna is a 2010 documentary film that depicts the life and death of Brazilian motor-racing champion, Ayrton Senna. It is Asif Kapadia's fourth feature film as director, and is produced by ESPN/Working Title and distributed by Universal Pictures/Walt Disney Pictures...
(2010, Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
, ESPN Films, Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
, StudioCanalStudioCanalStudioCanal is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
and Working Title FilmsWorking Title FilmsWorking Title Films is a British film production company, based in London, UK. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. It produces feature films and several television productions, including films starring comic actor Rowan Atkinson...
) - Lombardi (2010 or 2011, ESPN Films and NFL FilmsNFL FilmsNFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
)