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| Formerly | ESPN Original Entertainment (2001–2007) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Film |
| Genre | Sports television and films |
| Founded | 2001; 24 years ago (2001) |
Key people | |
| Parent | ESPN Inc. |
| Website | www |
ESPN Films, formerly known asESPN Original Entertainment (EOE), is an Americanproduction company which produces and distributes sportsfilms anddocumentaries. It is owned byESPN Inc., ajoint venture betweenThe Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) andHearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%).
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributes and markets the films produced by ESPN Films in theatrical markets.
Created in March 2008, ESPN Films produces films covering sports-related stories. Projects from the subsidiary include30 for 30 (and its offshoots30 for 30: Soccer Stories and the digital series30 for 30 Shorts), the critically acclaimedNine for IX series andSEC Storied.[1]
ESPN Films traces its history to 2001, when ESPN Inc. formed ESPN Original Entertainment, a programming division which produced varioustalk shows, series, documentaries andmade-for-TV films that aired on ESPN and its related networks. The subsidiary ceased operations for several months starting in 2007. The company's logo did not appear as avanity card on any ESPN programs, with the exception of the daily talk showJim Rome is Burning.
On 3 March 2008, ESPN announced that it would relaunch the unit asESPN Films.[2] Under the restructuring, ESPN Films began producing projects for theatrical release in addition to television; majority corporate parent The Walt Disney Company holds theright of first refusal on all projects. In addition, ESPN announced a new alliance with theCreative Artists Agency, which among its various clients, represents athletes such asLeBron James,David Beckham andPeyton Manning.
The first production under the ESPN Films banner wasBlack Magic, a four-hour documentary that premiered on ESPN without commercial interruption over two consecutive nights starting on March 16, 2008. The film, which won aPeabody Award in 2009, about the history ofbasketball played atHistorically Black Colleges and Universities.[3] The company's first theatrical film wasX Games 3D: The Movie, which was released on August 21, 2009.
On October 6, 2009, ESPN premiered30 for 30, a 30-hour series produced by ESPN Films that debuted in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the cable network's launch. Among those participating in the project includedSpike Lee,Richard Linklater,Barry Levinson andMike Tollin. The series, which earnedPeabody and Producer's Guild Awards and was nominated for anEmmy, featured thoughtful and innovative reflections on the previous three decades in sports told through a diverse array of sports fans and social commentators. Positive reaction from both critics and viewers led to a spin-off30 for 30: Volume II. ESPN took its first everAcademy Award whenO.J.: Made in America film won in the category ofBest Documentary Feature at the2017 Oscars.[4]
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Owners:Walt Disney Company (80%);Hearst Communications (20%) | |||||||||||||||||||