News

Netflix has set the two NFL games it will be livestreaming on Christmas Day 2025: The Dallas Cowboys vs. the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

The Cowboys/Commanders game will air 1 p.m. Et on Christmas Day, while the Lions/Vikings will face off at 4:30 p.m. Et. CBS Sports will produce the game coverage with NFL Media producing pregame, postgame and studio halftime programming.

Further expanding the streamer’s sports slate, Netflix has greenlit “Prime Time,” a docuseries about Deion Sanders, the famed NFL coach and former pro football and baseball player. Set to premiere in 2026, “Prime Time” will discuss Sanders’ 1997 suicide attempt and his relationship with his biological father while exploring his “evolution from a two-sport phenom to a culture-defining coach and media personality,” according to its official synopsis.

“Prime Time” is produced by Smac Entertainment, Skydance Sports and NFL Films. Bennett Viseltear...

Netflix is reaching back into TV history for its next piece of live programming.

The streamer has picked up a new version of the talent competition Star Search. The announcement came Wednesday during Netflix’s upfront presentation to advertisers, which also included a host of series renewals (for Bridgerton, The Four Seasons and The Diplomat, among others).

Star Search is one of a few new series orders Netflix announced at the event. Also on tap are a comedy from Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner Dan Levy; All the Sinners Bleed, a thriller from Black Panther co-writer Joe Robert Cole; The Body, a YA drama created by Quinn Shepherd (Hulu’s Under the Bridge); and Prime Time, a doc series about NFL Hall of Famer and University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders.

Star Search premiered in 1983 as a syndicated talent show hosted by Ed McMahon. It ran for 12 years and...

Netflix announced five new series and two films as part of its 2025 advertiser upfronts presentation in New York on Wednesday, including a new untitled series from Dan Levy.

On the scripted series side, Netflix announced three new titles, perhaps the most anticipated of which is a new show from “Schitt’s Creek” creator and star Levy and “Bottoms” star Rachel Sennott. Described as a family crime comedy, the eight-episode series is set to go into production in 2025. The show follows two “deeply incapable siblings” who are blackmailed into entering into a life of organized crime, a logline reads. Taylor Ortega will star in the series as will Laurie Metcalf.

“I’m so excited to be bringing this truly chaotic family story to life with Netflix. Thrilled with the team we’re building both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Taylor Ortega is going to become a household name...

Deion Sanders certainly like the attention. The former NFL star has signed up to feature in another documentary series – this time for Netflix.

Sanders will be the subject of Prime Time. It comes after Netflix rival Amazon aired three seasons of Coach Prime, which follows his Jackson State University Tigers team.

Netflix said that the series will “explore Sanders’ evolution from a two-sport phenom to a culture-defining coach and media personality” and open up about his relationship with his biological father, surviving an attempted suicide and near-death health scares.

It’s unclear whether it will include footage of the recent NFL draft, where his son Shedeur Sanders fell to the fifth round after many expected him to be a top pick.

The three-part series will also feature Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Ice Cube and Kirk Franklin.

It will be produced by Smac Entertainment, which produced Coach Prime, Skydance Sports and NFL Films.

Prime Video has ordered two new sports documentaries from Skydance Sports and NFL Films, a six-part series about the New York Jets and a feature-length documentary about Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens, along with a six-part docuseries about female CEOs, featuring and exec produced by Serena Williams. The news was announced during Amazon’s upfront presentation Monday at the Beacon Theater in New York City.

The Home Team: NY Jets is a six-part documentary series that follows six New York Jets players and their partners—including Quinnen & Maranda Williams and Alijah & Jessie Vera-Tucker—throughout the 2024-25 regular season. The series will “provide an authentic peek into the emotional journey these players and their families go on over the course of a 17-week NFL season,” according to Amazon.

Presented by Prime Video Sports and Skydance Sports, in association with NFL Films, The Home Team: NY Jets is produced by VaynerWATT.

Prime Video Sports, Skydance Sports and NFL Films are taking viewers into the lives of the New York Jets and Hall of fame wide receiver Terrell Owens off the football field in two new sports documentaries.

“The Home Team: NY Jets” is a six-part docuseries that follows six New York Jets players and their partners —including Quinnen & Maranda Williams and Alijah & Jessie Vera-Tucker—throughout the 2024-25 regular season. The project offers an authentic peek into the emotional journey they go through over the course of 17 weeks – from business endeavors to baby showers to family reunions.

In addition to Prime Video, Skydance and NFL films, the series is produced by VaynerWATT; Skydance Sports’ Jesse Sisgold, Jason T. Reed and Jon Weinbach; NFL Films’ Ross Ketover, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, and Keith Cossrow and VaynerWATT’s Eric Wattenberg, Gary Vaynerchuk, Matt Higgins, and Sam Brown 9.14 Pictures’ Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott serve as executive producers.

Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming reboot of “American Gladiators” has set Mike “The Miz” Mizanin as host.

“American Gladiators” originally ran in syndication from 1989 to 1996 and saw amateur athletes compete against each other and a panel of “gladiators” in various strength and agility challenges. The new version features an “all star cast of gladiators for the modern era,” per Amazon, and will utilize new challenges while reprising some from the original series, including “Gauntlet,” “Hang Tough” and “The Eliminator.” The cast will include bodybuilders, former D1 athletes, crossfit champions and fitness trainers from throughout the world.

Mizanin, a professional wrestler, first broke out as a TV personality in 2001 when he joined the cast of “The Real World: Back to New York” on MTV. Besides that, he is best known for becoming a Triple Crown Champion and a two-time Grand Slam Champion in the WWE, his three-season USA Network reality series “Miz & Mrs.,...

AMC Networks today announced that it has given the green light to the sports docuseries Gold Rush (working title), an AMC Studios and Skydance Sports co-production with producing partners NFL Films, Religion of Sports (Ros), and Tom Brady (for both Ros and 199 Productions).

The four-episode series will explore the dramatic and iconic run of the San Francisco 49ers during the ’80s and early ’90s, when the club rose from an also-ran into pro football’s most glamorous franchise. The series is set to premiere exclusively on AMC and AMC+ in 2026.

Photo courtesy of AMC Networks

Utilizing rare and never-before-seen footage from NFL Films, including video of team speeches and behind-the-scenes photos of San Francisco’s legendary head coach Bill Walsh, the series will feature incisive interviews with club legends (and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees) such as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Steve Young, and Eddie DeBartolo Jr.

Amazon Prime Video has greenlit “Taurasi,” a three-part docuseries about the life and career of basketball player Diana Taurasi.

Taurasi played as a shooting guard and point guard point before retiring in 2024. She began her career playing for the University of Connecticut, where she she was a three-time NCAA Champion, then went on to play in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury beginning in 2004 as a first-round draft pick. She won three WNBA titles with the Mercury while also playing for Team USA at the Olympics, taking home gold medals six Olympics in a row between 2004 and 2024. Outside of the U.S., Taurasi also has six Euroleage crowns to her name, having played for five teams across Russia and Turkey.

The docuseries will feature interviews with Taurasi as well as her family, teammates and coaches and journalists who followed her career. The official description reads, “Taurasi’s journey to the...

Freshly-retired pro tennis star Rafael Nadal is getting Netflix’s documentary treatment.

The streamer and Skydance Sports unveiled plans to develop the docuseries that follow Nadal’s career, which includes 22-time Grand Slam champion trophies and his dramatic final season in 2024. Nadal retired last month at the Davis Cup after 23 years in competitive pro tennis.

Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director Zach Heinzerling will direct the Nadal docuseries, with David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed, and Jon Weinbach producing.

“Rafael Nadal stands as one of the most influential and greatest figures in the history of sports. We are excited to present his remarkable story to our members, offering an intimate glimpse into his journey to cement his legacy to become the legend he is today,” Diego Ávalos, Netflix’s vp of content for Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Rival Amazon Prime Video earlier launched a documentary...

Netflix is continuing to serve up tennis docuseries with Rafael Nadal as its latest subject.

A month after revealing his retirement from the sport, Nadal has signed up for a series with the streamer, produced by Skydance Sports.

The untitled series joins Break Point, which ran for two seasons on Netflix before it was canceled, as well as its upcoming Carlos Alcaraz: My Way series.

It comes nine months after Nadal and Alcaraz went head-to-head for The Netflix Slam, a live event exhibition match.

The series will spotlight Nadal’s career as well as his life off-the-court, showcasing never-before-seen material from Nadal’s personal archive and featuring full access with the star, his family and his close circle of coaches and advisors including during his comeback to competitive play in the 2024 season after sitting out much of 2023 due to injury.

Nadal won 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including a...

Paramount has released the trailer for “Freediver,” a documentary from director and writer Michael John Warren. The film, based on the GQ article “Secrets of the Deep” by Daniel Riley, will be available on digital Dec. 7, 2024.

After geopolitics forced him into exile, the world’s greatest living freediver, Alexey Molchanov, fights to reclaim his athletic glory and honor his iconic mother’s towering legacy by attempting the most dominant season in the history of the deadly sport. His near-suicidal quest to set five world records in under four months brings him to the farthest reaches of the globe and his mind, forcing him to reevaluate the very skills on which he has built his entire life. Watch the trailer below.

The trailer states, “The goal of competitive freediving is simple: Dive as deep as you can on a single breath…and come back up alive.” Molchanov reveals, “I’m very competitive.

Paramount Global Content Distribution has acquired the rights for the documentary feature “Freediver,” which follows freediving champion Alexey Molchanov during his historic and dramatic 2023 competitive run.

The film is directed, written and produced by Michael John Warren and is a production from Skydance Sports, Picturestart, GQ Studios and Boardwalk Pictures.

Based on the GQ article, “Secrets of the Deep,” the film follows Molchanov, the world’s greatest living freediver and son of freediving pioneer Natalia Molchanova. After geopolitics forced him into exile, Molchanov spent 2023 on a journey to reclaim his athletic glory and honor his iconic mother’s towering legacy by attempting the most dominant season in the history of the deadly sport. His near-suicidal quest to set five world records in under four months brings him to the farthest reaches of the globe and to the very edges of human performance. In the process, he’s forced to reevaluate...

Aaron Rodgers will be back on the field for an NFL for the first time in a year after tearing his Achilles four snaps into his first game for the New York Jets.

The outspoken quarterback will do it with a Netflix greenlight in his pocket.

The streamer has ordered docuseries Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, which will follow Rodgers’ comeback, which kicks off at Levi’s Stadium as the Jets take on the San Francisco 49ers.

The three-part series, which launches on December 17, will also follow the ayahuasca advocate’s life off the field. It is produced by Religion of Sports, Skydance Sports and NFL Films.

In the trailer, which you’ll be able to see above shortly, Rodgers talks about both his approach to quarterback play, as well as the events of that night at MetLife Stadium.

“Listen, I believe in the power of prayer and intention and from the first night this happened,...

One of the NFL’s biggest names is getting the Netflix sports treatment.

Aaron Rodgers, a four-time league Mvp and quarterback of the New York Jets, will be the subject of a three-hour docuseries on the streamer. Aaron Rodgers: Enigma is set to premiere Dec. 17 — eight days before Netflix takes its biggest leap into live sports with two NFL games on Christmas Day (though neither one involves the Jets).

The Rodgers series is one of several sports projects Netflix announced Monday: It has also picked up a third season of Full Swing, which follows golfers on the PGA Tour, and ordered a new slate of documentaries under the Untold banner. Among the subjects for the latter in 2025 will be the notorious locker-room gun incident involving Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton; the beef and cheating accusations between chess grandmasters Hans Niemann and Magnus Carlsen; and a steroid scandal...

Netflix is adding to its sports docuseries lineup with three new shows centered on the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics as well as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

In partnership with the International Olympic Committee, Netflix is doing docuseries on gymnastics great Simone Biles, the U.S. men’s basketball team, and Olympic track athletes, the last of which was ordered last year and is now titled “Sprint.”

The Biles series is titled “Simone Biles: Rising,” and will debut its first part in July ahead of the Summer Games. The series consists of four 45-minute episodes. The official description states:

“Simone Biles has unfinished business. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she was one of the biggest stories leading into the Games. But in sport, as in life, competitions do not always go as planned. And for Simone, the world had a front row seat as her private struggle with mental health exploded on...

Netflix has joined America’s Team.

The streamer said during its upfront today that it is teaming with Skydance Sports, NFL Films and Stardust Frames Productions on the upcoming documentary series about the Dallas Cowboys.

Billed as a “defining” docuseries, the untitled project tells the story of team owner Jerry Jones and his unique journey in transforming the Cowboys franchise, leading a historic set of players and coaches to three NFL titles in the 1990s and searing his imprint into the global sports business landscape. Along the way, Jones has become one of the most innovative and influential leaders in sports, with his team being the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

No premiere date is set for the 10-episode series, which features never-before-seen footage and interviews with 35-year owner, president and general manager Jones along with players, coaches and rivals of the 1990s including Pro Football Hall of Famers Troy Aikman,...

Netflix is getting into the Olympic spirit with its newest batch of sports documentaries.

The streamer has partnered with the International Olympic Committee on three series following gymnastics superstar Simone Biles and athletes in men’s basketball and track and field. Filmmaking teams for the three shows will gain access to the athletes and venues at the summer games in Paris.

Separately, Netflix has ordered a series about the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones, with a focus on the team’s dominant years in the early and mid-1990s. The company made the announcements as part of its first-ever upfront on Wednesday — where it also announced its biggest push into live sports so far with a deal to carry NFL games on Christmas for the next three years.

Biles’ return for her third Olympics will be chronicled in Simone Biles: Rising, which will run in two parts. The first...

The 2024 Oscars Best Picture race is highly competitive with a diverse range of movies vying for nominations. Front-runners for Best Picture include Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" and Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon." New contenders that have emerged for Best Picture nominations include "American Fiction," "Origin," and "May December."

The Oscars 2024 race is heating up, as a growing list of movies hope to compete for a coveted Best Picture nomination with hopes of winning the Academy Awards' top prize. Hollywood's biggest awards ceremony has undergone significant changes in recent years that have brought in an expanded and more diverse voting body. The effects of this have been seen across the board, but the Best Picture nominees have become more varied in genre and style than before. This has also been aided by the decision to expand the category to always nominate 10 movies, which is perfect for a year like 2024 with several strong contenders.

Veteran producer and film executive Jason T. Reed has been named as the head of Skydance Sports, the company announced on Thursday.

Skydance Sports is the sports-focused studio collaboration that was established in 2022, a joint effort between David Ellison’s Skydance Media and the NFL.

With more than 20 years in the media and content industry, Reed’s history includes the creation and production of significant film and TV intellectual properties, such as “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and the live-action version of “Mulan.” Furthermore, he had an 18-year tenure at The Walt Disney Company, where he excelled in international production and franchise management.

In his newly created role, Reed will spearhead Skydance Sports operations and oversee the development and production of the studio’s entire slate of sports-driven storytelling. This will encompass both scripted and unscripted content, documentaries and events, including NFL-related content.

Reed will report directly to...

Film executive Jason T. Reed has been named the head of Skydance Sports, the joint studio venture formed by Skydance Media and the NFL.

Reed most recently ran his own film and television production company and will now lead the development and production of Skydance Sports’ sport-driven scripted and unscripted content, documentaries, and events. He will report to the company board of directors, run by recently appointed chairman, Jesse Sisgold, Skydance Media’s president and chief operating officer.

At his self-titled production company, Reed produced Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the live-action feature film adaptation of Mulan. Working in international production and franchise management at The Walt Disney Company, Reed also oversaw films such as the National Treasure franchise, Alice in Wonderland, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon and Enchanted. He has worked on sports features such as Prefontaine, The Waterboy and The Greatest Game Ever Played.

After Skydance Media...

Jason T. Reed, a veteran producer who spent 18 years as an exec at Disney overseeing a number of top franchises, has been named Head of Skydance Sports.

The division of David Ellison’s Skydance Media last year formally teamed with the NFL and NFL Films. In his newly created role, Reed will lead overall Skydance Sports operations and the development and production of the studio’s entire slate of sports-driven scripted and unscripted projects, along with documentaries and events.

Jon Weinbach, who has served as President of Skydance Sports since its 2021 formation, will now focus on overseeing the studio’s unscripted and documentary slate. That unit produced NFL Draft: The Pick Is In, a docuseries that became Roku’s most-watched original documentary title ever, earning a renewal for 2024. Another title shepherded by Weinbach was Kelce, a feature documentary on Prime Video about Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

As Reed takes on the head role,...

Prime Video announces premiere date of September 12 for the feature-length documentary Kelce about Philadelphia Eagles team captain Jason Kelce. Kelce chronicles a challenging season for Jason Kelce as he confronts the decision of whether to retire from professional football. The documentary offers an intimate look into Kelce's life, including the arrival of his third daughter, his chart-topping podcast, and a history-making Super Bowl appearance.

Streaming platform Prime Video has now announced a premiere date of September 12 for Kelce, with a new trailer teasing the feature-length documentary about Philadelphia Eagles team captain and All-Pro center Jason Kelce throughout the 2022-23 season. Coming courtesy of the official Prime Video YouTube channel, Kelce will now debut on the platform in time for the return of Thursday Night Football. Check out the trailer for Kelce below.

Kelce has been described as “an intimate and emotional feature-length documentary” that chronicles Philadelphia Eagles team captain and...

Amazon and Skydance on Monday unveiled Kelce, a documentary focused on Philadelphia Eagles team captain and All-Pro center Jason Kelce, which will premiere on Prime Video September 12th.

Debuting on the platform just two days ahead of Thursday Night Football‘s return, pitting the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Eagles, the film directed by 9.14 Pictures’ Don Argott specifically spotlights Kelce’s 2022-23 season, which began with him confronting one of the most challenging decisions any professional athlete will ever face — is now the time to hang it up?

After deciding to return for his 12th NFL season, Kelce embarked on a remarkable journey, highlighted by the arrival of his third daughter; the debut of his chart-topping podcast New Heights, which he co-hosts with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce; and a history-making Super Bowl appearance that placed the entire Kelce family at the center of the sports world.

Roku, NFL Films and Skydance Sports are teaming on a documentary feature about the NFL Draft.

Once an obscure, bureaucratic ritual involving a conference room full of league officials, the draft has mushroomed into a pop culture event drawing millions of live TV viewers. Long held at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the draft has adopted a rotating schedule with large outdoor venues hosting it in various cities.

Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner starred in a 2014 scripted film, Draft Day, in the same milieu.

The new documentary will focus on the three days of the draft and plans call for an annual edition to be produced. It will be designated as a Roku Original, from Skydance Sports and produced by NFL Films for the Roku Channel, a hub for free, ad-supported content wit reach to an estimated 100 million U.S. households.

NFL Films cameras have been given access...

Skydance Sports, NFL Films and the Jerry Jones family are collaborating on what they call a “defining” docuseries about the Dallas Cowboys and the arc of Jones as the owner and builder of the franchise over 30-plus years.

As president and general manager, Jones is credited with engineering a massive turnaround that led to three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s. While the Lombardi Trophy has remained out of reach during the past quarter-century-plus, Jones and his family have shepherded the rise of the Cowboys to the status of the most valuable franchise in professional sports.

Using never-before-seen footage from the NFL Films archive, the as-yet-untitled series will trace Jones’ rise from the son of an Arkansas community store owner to the top of the pro sports heap. Interviews will feature ex-Cowboys players Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith and Deion Sanders; former head coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer...

A docuseries about Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys franchise is in the works from Skydance Sports and NFL Films.

Featuring some of NFL Films’ archived never-before-seen content, the series will chronicle the Cowboys owner, president, and general manger’s rise from the son of an Arkansas community store owner to becoming one of the most renowned leaders in sports. Additionally, the documentary will highlight several of the household names who partnered with Jones along the way, including Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders, Head Coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, Rupert Murdoch, and Phil Knight.

When Jones first purchased the organization in 1989, the team was coming off a 13-loss season and was losing in excess of $1 million a month. He’s credited with transforming the franchise and leading a historic set of players and coaches to three NFL titles in the 1990s which ultimately cemented his name...

A docuseries centered on the Dallas Cowboys and owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones is in development from Skydance Sports, NFL Films and the Jerry Jones family.

The untitled series will reach deep into NFL Films’ vast archive of never-before-seen content and will trace Jones’ remarkable rise from the son of an Arkansas community store owner to being one of the most innovative and influential leaders in sports.

It will also spotlight the stars and partners who teamed with Jones along the way, including Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Deion Sanders, Head Coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, Rupert Murdoch, and Phil Knight.

When Jones risked everything to purchase the club in 1989, the team was coming off a 13-loss season and was losing in excess of $1 million a month. Less than a decade later, the Cowboys won three NFL titles.

“Sharing my father’s journey and his passion for the game,...

After 38 days in theaters, Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Mandalay Pictures, and Artists Equity’s Air will stream on Prime Video on May 12 in more than 240 countries.

The Ben Affleck directed, and starring movie about Nike courting a young Michael Jordan to make the signature Air Jordan show repped Amazon’s return to theatrical releases after a day-and-date strategy. The pic opened to $20.2M over the five day Easter holiday and now counts over $47.6M stateside.

Air notched a 92% Certified Fresh Tomatometer rating among critics, a 98% verified audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an A CinemaScore.

Matt Damon plays maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight, with Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, and Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, among others. The...

Today it was announced that Ben Affleck’s Air, from Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Mandalay Pictures, and the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, will premiere in India exclusively on Prime Video on May 12 in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Air has been praised by audiences and critics alike, currently boasting a 92% “Certified Fresh” Tomatometer rating and a 98% verified audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and an “A” CinemaScore.

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, Air reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division, which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

Sports drama stands at $79m worldwide.

Ben Affleck’s sports drama Air, which has grossed $79m worldwide in its exclusive theatrical release, will debut on Prime Video on May 12.

The Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures feature opened worldwide on April 5 and is the first title from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity.

Air recounts the story of the partnership between then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionised the sports and contemporary culture with the launch of the Air Jordan brand.

Affleck directed and plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight, while Viola Davis plays Jordan’s mother Deloris Jordan,...

The Ben Affleck-directed Nike film Air from Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures is set to close out the SXSW Film Festival in a surprise showing ahead of its global April 5th theatrical release, according to multiple sources. The screening is expected to take place at Austin, TX’s Paramount Theatre at 6:30 p.m on March 18.

The film reteaming Affleck on screen with his Good Will Hunting co-star Matt Damon tells the story of how maverick sneaker salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) led a fledgling running shoe company called Nike in its pursuit of the most transformative athlete in the history of sports: Michael Jordan. Affleck portrays Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the story surrounding Nike’s longshot effort to sign Jordan to its shoe company in the mid-’80s, an endorsement that seemed impossible at the time but which would become the most significant relationship between an...

Mumbai, Feb 10 (Ians) The Ben Affleck directorial ‘Air’ brings to light the game-changing partnership between a then rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionised the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. The film is set to have a direct-to-digital release in India.

The moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

The film sees Matt Damon playing the maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and Affleck stepping into the shoes of Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

Talking about the film, Ben Affleck said: “Matt and I are very excited for audiences to see Air and proud that it’s the first release from Artists Equity. The movie was...

For those of us who don’t know our Nike basketball shoe history, the trailer for Ben Affleck’s Air pretty much lays out the entire story. Affleck stars in and directs a retelling of the true story of how Nike’s decision to take a chance on Michael Jordan changed the company’s fortune.

The trailer arrived online prior to the film’s Super Bowl spot and was accompanied by six new photos.

Affleck stars as Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his offscreen Bff Matt Damon, who he’s never directed in a feature film up until Air, plays Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro (the man who made it all happen.) The cast also includes Viola Davis as Michael Jordan’s mom, Deloris Jordan. Jason Bateman plays Rob Strasser, Chris Messina is David Falk, Marlon Wayans is George Raveling, Chris Tucker is Howard White, Matthew Maher is Peter Moore, Gustaf Skarsgård is Horst Dassler,...

Air directed by Ben Affleck, the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, will premiere this year on Prime Video. “Ben, Matt, and this all-star cast have delivered a fantastic film that will move, inspire, and entertain audiences around the globe,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “With Ben’s incredible direction, the film delivers a nostalgic look back at a culture-defining moment that absolutely lends itself to a global theatrical event.”

Said director Ben Affleck, “Matt and I are very excited for audiences to see Air and proud that it’s the first release from Artists Equity. The movie was an extraordinary experience where we had the honour of working with some of the best cast and crew in the business, all of whom brought passion, persistence, and creativity to a collective effort at recreating a remarkable and aspirational story. I appreciate and...

Sunday night may be all about football, but Matt Damon and Ben Affleck only have basketball on their minds. The first trailer for “Air,” the upcoming Amazon film from the duo about the creation of Nike’s Air Jordans, has dropped before premiering during the upcoming Super Bowl ahead of the film’s April release.

An ’80s period piece, “Air” stars Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike marketing executive who signed Michael Jordan for a deal with the company, leading to the development of the iconic Air Jordan sneaker lines. The film will focus on Vaccaro’s pursuit of a contract with Jordan, and co-stars Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother Deloris. Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and Gustaf Skarsgård are also in the cast of the film, which will feature Jordan in archival footage but will otherwise keep the basketball legend off-screen.

Los Angeles, Jan 24 (Ians) Hollywood star Ben Affleck’s next directorial effort ‘Air’, about the birth of the Air Jordan brand and the partnership between Nike and a rookie Michael Jordan, has set an April 5 global theatrical release date, before it heads to streaming platform Prime Video.

The film is the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, in collaboration with Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures, reports ‘Variety’.

The starry cast includes Damon as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgard as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan

Alex Convery wrote ‘Air’, which is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Affleck, Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov,...

Hollywood star Ben Affleck’s next directorial effort ‘Air’, about the birth of the Air Jordan brand and the partnership between Nike and a rookie Michael Jordan, has set an April 5 global theatrical release date, before it heads to streaming platform Prime Video.

The film is the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, in collaboration with Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures, reports ‘Variety’.

The starry cast includes Damon as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgard as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan

Alex Convery wrote ‘Air’, which is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Affleck, Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber and Jason Michael Berman.

Ben Affleck’s Nike film “Air” will officially be a slamdunk in theaters.

Directed by Oscar winner Affleck, “Air” captures the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division that revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand, per an official synopsis. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

“Air” is the first project from Affleck and longtime collaborator Matt Damon’s Artists Equity production banner. The film will have a wide global theatrical release April 5, 2023, in advance of its premiere in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Prime Video. The theatrical deal is the first kind of arrangement for Amazon Studios,...

Ben Affleck’s upcoming sports drama Air — starring the filmmaker-actor opposite Matt Damon — will open in theaters across the globe April 5 in advance of its debut on Amazon’s Prime Video.

The sports marketing drama about Nike’s game-changing early days is backed by Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures. It’s also the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity.

Plans for a global theatrical rollout are significant in signaling that Amazon is willing to give a movie a traditional release in cinemas. Amazon will handle Air in North America, while Warner Bros. International has overseas duties per its distribution pact with MGM. The film’s release date on Prime hasn’t yet been announced.

“Ben, Matt and this all-star cast have delivered a fantastic film that will move, inspire and entertain audiences around the globe,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios, said in a statement.

Some great news for exhibition Monday morning: Amazon Studios is getting back into the wide theatrical-release business with Ben Affleck’s Nike movie Air, starring his fellow Good Will Hunting co-Oscar winner Matt Damon.

Air will get a global theatrical release on Wednesday, April 5, heading into the lucrative Easter weekend. This is the first wide theatrical release from Amazon since its Sundance acquisition, Mindy Kaling’s Late Night, which had a wide summer release in 2019.

I hear Air will have a longer theatrical window than Amazon Studios’ recent limited theatrical releases, before hitting Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories. It truly is a first-of-its-kind arrangement for the studio as Amazon will distribute the film globally, with Warner Bros. Pictures handling international as part of its distribution pact with Amazon’s MGM. Amazon Studios only had U.S. on Late Night, not global rights.

Air reveals the unbelievable game-changing...

Ben Affleck’s next directorial effort “Air,” about the birth of the Air Jordan brand and the partnership between Nike and a rookie Michael Jordan, has set an April 5 global theatrical release date, before it heads to Prime Video.

The film is the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, in collaboration with Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures.

The starry cast includes Damon as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan

Alex Convery wrote “Air,” which is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Affleck, Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber and Jason Michael Berman. Executive producers include Dana Goldberg,...

Actor, producer and screenwriter Ryan Reynolds will receive “The People’s Icon” award at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, NBC and E! announced. Reynolds will be honored for his contributions to film and television, including recent Netflix film “The Adam Project.” The program will air on NBC and E! on Tuesday, December 6 at 9 p.m. Et from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

“In any endeavor – whether it’s acting, producing, marketing or business – Ryan Reynolds has the unique ability to create joy and authentically connect with his audience. He’s received many accolades over the years, but it’s these innate qualities that makes him so beloved,” said Cassandra Tryon, SVP, entertainment live events, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We cannot wait to present Ryan with ‘The People’s Icon’ award at this year’s show.”

Reynolds can next be seen in the musical comedy “Spirited” opposite Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer,...

America’s Cup and Skydance Sports are exclusively partnering for an “all-access, behind-the-scenes” documentary series on the next America’s Cup race, and they’ve enlisted some Oscar-winning talent to help steer the craft.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, who won an Academy Award and an Emmy for directing Free Solo, will executive produce the series through their production company Little Monster Films. They’ll be joined as EPs by their Academy Award-winning Free Solo producer Evan Hayes and his Anomaly Content & Entertainment production company, as well as David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, and Jon Weinbach of Skydance.

Emirates Team New Zealand and Ineos Team UK compete in the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand December 18, 2020

The America’s Cup is the longest-running international sports competition – it dates back to 1851 – and the premiere sailing event in the world. For the first time ever, according to a release about the documentary project,...

Amazon Prime Video’s new documentary series “Good Rivals” will investigate the social and political roots of the rivalry between the Mexican and American international soccer teams, from Mexico’s historic domination of the game to Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

The three-part docuseries, premiering Nov. 24 on Prime Video, tracks the rivalry that has never ceased to pack the stadiums with fans over its 30-year span — including the American team’s inability to beat Mexico in 24 straight games from 1937 to 1980.

Launched by Prime Video Sports, the series will spotlight some of the most memorable careers of the pairing, including Landon Donovan, a striker hailing from Southern California, and Rafa Márquez, a player whose grandfather abandoned the family to move to the U.S., who represented their countries as iconic players in the early to mid 2000s.

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After the U.S.

UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas’s life story will be the subject of “Thug Rose: Mixed Martial Artist,” a new documentary that will debut at the Austin Film Festival before premiering on Fight Pass, the combat sport’s official streaming service. The film was produced by UFC, which hopes it will be the first of many such projects.

“We want to do as many these as we possibly can,” Crowley Sullivan, vice president and general manager of Fight Pass, told Variety. “Throughout the history of this sport there are all kinds of personalities and accomplishments that we want to highlight. There are so many stories of athletes rising from modest beginnings to become iconic figures that we want to tell.”

That’s certainly the case with Namajunas, the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, who overcame an abusive childhood and tough economic circumstances, to become one of the fiercest competitors in the...

Click here to read the full article.

International soccer star Kylian Mbappé and his production banner, Zebra Valley, have signed a multiyear first-look deal with Skydance Sports, the sports content division of Skydance Media.

The star of Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 club and France’s national soccer team will work with Skydance Sports to develop and produce a slate of cross-platform scripted and unscripted projects that touch the worlds of sports, culture and identity. As part of the deal, Los Angeles-based Zebra Valley is expected to expand its output through all Skydance Media divisions to tell sports and non-sports stories alike. Zebra Valley was launched by Mbappé and business partner Kacy Grine in 2022.

“Kylian is a rare, transcendent football talent. It’s so exciting that he and the Zebra Valley team are now bringing that same level of commitment to engaging and inspiring audiences around the world, which is why we...

For a film that might initially come across as a glorified advertisement, with executive producers Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, in addition to the backing of NBA entertainment, Netflix’s “The Redeem Team” — about the 2008 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team — doesn’t have any business being as good as it actually is. An uplifting tale of the Team’s redemption in the wake of a humiliating 2004 loss in Athens, Jon Weinbach’s documentary is about everything you’d expect.

Continue reading ‘The Redeem Team’ Review: A Formulaic, But Inspiring Sports Doc at The Playlist.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, “The Last Dance” producer Jon Weinbach, and NBA Entertainment team up for and their quest to recapture the gold medal glory that our country had once taken for granted. That long and arduous process became the stuff of a classic American sports movie, as the NBA’s biggest stars — brought together by a reserved but militaristic coach — put aside their individual egos to play for each other and the people back home.

“The Redeem Team” is that movie to a tee. It’s every bit as candied and superficial as you might expect from such a self-mythologizing stroll down memory lane, but its subjects bring some occasional edge to it (I cackled at James recalling the moment when he realized “we about to beat the shit out of Spain”), and the documentary’s slickness befits the story of a team that had been created to promote...

It’s easy to forget that in 2008, basketball fans wondered if LeBron James — years away from the first of his four NBA titles — was clutch enough to win the big one. Kobe Bryant was considered a selfish player who’d influenced the departure of star center Shaquille O’Neal from the Lakers. And the USA Basketball team, made up of top pros, languished as an also-ran that hadn’t made the 2006 world finals. As the stirring doc, The Redeem Team, shows, that changed when Bryant joined fellow stars training for a chance to win in the 2008 Beijing Games. His reason? As player Carmelo Anthony hilariously recalls, “He said, ‘I’m tired of watching y’all lose.’” Their historic rise as a true team under the magic touch of Duke University’s Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski, thrills because, “They all had things they needed to prove,” says director Jon Weinbach. And along with Beijing gold for Bryant,...