AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Bold move cotton movie9/10/2023 ![]() There could be a growing business in it, as anyone who watches coverage of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th might tell you. Maybe airing oddball sports isn’t so funny. “It’s something we’ve always had fun with, and now we are turning it into a full programming initiative.” It’s kind of been an ongoing funny discussion point” among producers, he says. The movie struck a chord at ESPN, says Colborne. Let’s see if it pays off for ’em.” Countless re-airings on Comedy Central and sundry pay-cable movie networks over the years only served to make the concept more memorable. “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton,” says Brooks. “I’m being told that Average Joes does not have enough players and will be forfeiting the championship match,” McKnight tells his broadcast partner. As the the movie’s team, Average Joes, played, actors Gary Cole and Jason Bateman, playing ESPN announcer Cotton McKnight and his not-so-trustworthy color man Pepper Brooks threw out one laugh line after another. “The Ocho” was first realized as just one of many humorous “Dodgeball” concepts. And while last year’s effort was more akin to a fringe experiment in the laziest days of summer, this year’s return had the attention of executives and producers from across the Walt Disney unit, says Colborne. They snared rights to air “Dodgeball,” which they hadn’t in the past. ![]() Producers have lined up more weird sports – and more programs in which to showcase them, says Colborne. “We all kind of realized this could go bigger.” “The social and fan engagement and response was far and beyond what our expectations were,” says Brent Colborne, director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, in an interview. Social-media reaction was strong enough that executives moved the concept to ESPN 2, which reaches more subscribers. “A traditional sports audience tunes in to ESPN every day, but you would hope with the word of mouth around this, you get entertainment seekers as well.”Ī continuing series about branded entertainmentĮSPN tested the concept last August by running an initial version of “The Ocho” on ESPNU, its network devoted to college sports. “They are giving less celebrated sports a moment in the spotlight,” says Steve Kelly, director of media and marketing for KFC, which is sponsoring the off-kilter concept with clever ads that show athletes trying to succeed in sports with the chain’s iconic buckets over their heads. The lineup includes two airings of the 2004 20 th Century Fox film, “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” in which a group of misfits assemble to play in a national dodgeball championship televised by a completely made-up “ESPN 8: The Ocho.” Today’s efforts, however, are very real. “ The Ocho,” an ESPN outlet devoted to niche sports like pickleball, cornhole and something called “chess boxing” is running on ESPN 2 throughout August 8 – complete with special commercials from KFC. ![]() The network should not be.įor 24 hours, ESPN is operating what should really be a fictional network best left as part of a script to a funny cult-favorite film.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |