MoonBall Media announced today that Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. will serve as executive producer for its latest docuseries in development. The unscripted series from MoonBall, which was founded in February by former MLBers Eric Hosmer and Anthony Seratelli, will explore iconic feats in sports. The premiere episode will chronicle Ripken’s historic games-played streak, which reached an MLB record 2,632 in 1998 (Erik Bacharach, SBJ).
BUILDING A BRAND: VARIETY’s Brian Steinberg reported in an effort to “boost ION,” Scripps plans to launch a “year-long marketing campaign aimed to build awareness of the network’s entertainment and sports programming.” Scripps is highlighting recent rights deals that help its ION broadcast network serve up both a Friday-night WNBA showcase as well as Saturday-night doubleheaders from the NWSL. A new WNBA season that ION will cover starting May 17 features “weekly studio shows -- the first time in the league’s history that a linear network has devoted such coverage.” ION has also developed studio shows for the NWSL built around “pre-match, halftime and post-match” -- also the “first weekly studio shows dedicated to the league by any network” (VARIETY, 4/8).
KNOWING THE MAN: FOOTWEAR NEWS’s Allie Fasanella reported a new documentary charting the life of Tennis HOFer and “sneaker icon” Stan Smith will hit the theaters soon. Directed by Danny Lee and executive produced by Lakers F LeBron James, “Who Is Stan Smith?” will tell the story of his “tennis career and follow him as he takes on the world of fashion.” The documentary will premiere in L.A. on May 3 followed by a premiere in N.Y. a week later. The film will then get a “theatrical run spanning 50 cities” across the U.S., including D.C., Atlanta, S.F., Denver and Dallas (FOOTWEAR NEWS, 4/8).
