Release
MLB PRODUCTIONS AND SHOWTIME JOIN FORCES FOR A NEW, UNSCRIPTED SERIES!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MLB PRODUCTIONS AND SHOWTIME JOIN FORCES FOR A NEW, UNSCRIPTED SERIES FEATURING UNPRECEDENTED TEAM ACCESS
WITH THE 2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Production Currently Under Way on New Series,
A Never-Before-Seen Chronicle of America’s Favorite Pastime
Showtime Networks, Major League Baseball Productions and the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants are teaming up for a new series chronicling the competitive and complex world of professional baseball. The new series will give viewers a front row seat into the lives of the players, coaches and team personnel as they begin the arduous task of defending their World Series title through the 2011 MLB season.
A collaboration between Showtime and MLB Productions, the soon-to-be-titled series is currently in production and will be shot over the course of ten months in numerous locations at home during the off-season, on to Scottsdale, Arizona for Spring Training and embedded with the team during the regular season. The series is set to premiere with a preview episode on Opening Day in April 2011 followed by regularly scheduled episodes during the second half of 2011. The show will expand on the SHOWTIME Sports® existing line-up of stellar and award-winning programming that includes INSIDE THE NFL, INSIDE NASCAR, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts.
“This new series is one I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” said David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks. “Having produced Friday Night Lights, I’ve received numerous pitches over the years for scripted shows about the world of professional sports, but nothing can capture the drama and intensity of the real thing. We are both honored and excited to have the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants grant this extraordinary access. The diversity, passion, and larger-than-life personalities of the players, their manager Bruce Bochy, and front office, led by Managing General Partner and CEO Bill Neukom, General Manager Brian Sabean and President Larry Baer, came together to achieve the club’s historic World Series win. I’m confident that this group of personalities will make for a provocative and groundbreaking television series that will appeal beyond the hardcore baseball fan to all viewers who appreciate great drama.”
“We’re constantly seeking new programming platforms to bring our fans closer to the game, and this new series will do exactly that in a very exciting fashion, thanks in large part to the tremendous group of personalities that make up the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants” said Chris Tully, Major League Baseball Senior Vice President, Broadcasting. “We’re excited to work with Showtime on this project and are grateful to the Giants organization and its players for embracing the goal of giving fans a look inside their world.”
"The Giants are delighted to work with Showtime and Major League Baseball Productions on this exciting new project," said Giants President and Chief Operating Officer Larry Baer. "Showtime and MLB Productions' reputations for producing high quality, compelling content speak for themselves. I have no doubt that this series will break new ground and will enable our team to forge an even closer connection with our fans and the public at large."
About Showtime
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution which includes the SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
About MLB Productions
Major League Baseball Productions is the Emmy® award-winning television and video production division of Major League Baseball and the official video archivists of the game. With unparalleled access to the Clubs and their players, Major League Baseball Productions produces original programming for growing audiences worldwide through its network specials, exclusive home videos, commercials and other specialty programming. For more information on Major League Baseball Productions, log on to www.MLBProductions.com.
# # #
Contact: Matt Bourne or Jeff Heckelman, Major League Baseball, (212) 931-7878, twitter.com/mlb_pr
Frank Marchesini, Showtime, (310) 234-5342
MLB PRODUCTIONS AND SHOWTIME JOIN FORCES FOR A NEW, UNSCRIPTED SERIES FEATURING UNPRECEDENTED TEAM ACCESS
WITH THE 2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Production Currently Under Way on New Series,
A Never-Before-Seen Chronicle of America’s Favorite Pastime
Showtime Networks, Major League Baseball Productions and the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants are teaming up for a new series chronicling the competitive and complex world of professional baseball. The new series will give viewers a front row seat into the lives of the players, coaches and team personnel as they begin the arduous task of defending their World Series title through the 2011 MLB season.
A collaboration between Showtime and MLB Productions, the soon-to-be-titled series is currently in production and will be shot over the course of ten months in numerous locations at home during the off-season, on to Scottsdale, Arizona for Spring Training and embedded with the team during the regular season. The series is set to premiere with a preview episode on Opening Day in April 2011 followed by regularly scheduled episodes during the second half of 2011. The show will expand on the SHOWTIME Sports® existing line-up of stellar and award-winning programming that includes INSIDE THE NFL, INSIDE NASCAR, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts.
“This new series is one I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” said David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks. “Having produced Friday Night Lights, I’ve received numerous pitches over the years for scripted shows about the world of professional sports, but nothing can capture the drama and intensity of the real thing. We are both honored and excited to have the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants grant this extraordinary access. The diversity, passion, and larger-than-life personalities of the players, their manager Bruce Bochy, and front office, led by Managing General Partner and CEO Bill Neukom, General Manager Brian Sabean and President Larry Baer, came together to achieve the club’s historic World Series win. I’m confident that this group of personalities will make for a provocative and groundbreaking television series that will appeal beyond the hardcore baseball fan to all viewers who appreciate great drama.”
“We’re constantly seeking new programming platforms to bring our fans closer to the game, and this new series will do exactly that in a very exciting fashion, thanks in large part to the tremendous group of personalities that make up the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants” said Chris Tully, Major League Baseball Senior Vice President, Broadcasting. “We’re excited to work with Showtime on this project and are grateful to the Giants organization and its players for embracing the goal of giving fans a look inside their world.”
"The Giants are delighted to work with Showtime and Major League Baseball Productions on this exciting new project," said Giants President and Chief Operating Officer Larry Baer. "Showtime and MLB Productions' reputations for producing high quality, compelling content speak for themselves. I have no doubt that this series will break new ground and will enable our team to forge an even closer connection with our fans and the public at large."
About Showtime
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution which includes the SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
About MLB Productions
Major League Baseball Productions is the Emmy® award-winning television and video production division of Major League Baseball and the official video archivists of the game. With unparalleled access to the Clubs and their players, Major League Baseball Productions produces original programming for growing audiences worldwide through its network specials, exclusive home videos, commercials and other specialty programming. For more information on Major League Baseball Productions, log on to www.MLBProductions.com.
# # #
Contact: Matt Bourne or Jeff Heckelman, Major League Baseball, (212) 931-7878, twitter.com/mlb_pr
Frank Marchesini, Showtime, (310) 234-5342
