ESPN plans to develop original sports-themed movies,
and actor Billy Crystal "is committed to a project based on
the autobiography of" ESPN's Dick Schaap, according to
Steven Stark of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. ESPN VP & GM Mark
Shapiro said that ESPN "has increased its budget for
original programming" to $25M in 2000, up 40% over last
year. The original movies will "complement ESPN Classic's
broadcasts of theatrical releases with sports themes."
Shapiro: "It's got to be the right script and the right
price. There are so many scripts out there, and there have
been so many people in the past who came to ESPN, but there
wasn't this kind of stage. Now, with the Classic franchise,
people are seeing it as a viable vehicle to pitch us"
(HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/10). Meanwhile, in Houston, David
Barron notes ESPN Classic's re-launch tonight (see THE DAILY
7/7), and notes that 41% of Classic's audience is between
18-34, compared to 36% for ESPN (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/10).
PUTTING ON THEIR GAMESHOW FACE: Shapiro also discussed
details for ESPN's new game show, "Two-Minute Drill," which
is being developed in conjunction with Michael Davies, the
Exec Producer of ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (See
THE DAILY 7/6). The show is scheduled to debut September 11
and will air on Mondays at 7:00pm ET before ESPN's "NFL
Monday Night Countdown." Reruns will be shown on ESPN2 and
will "ultimately find a home on ESPN Classic." The show's
season-long competition will "conclude with an episode
during which the finalists must pick a sports subject about
which they think they know more than the other contestants."
The winner will receive a "large sum of money," but Davies
said "it won't be anywhere near" $1M. Shapiro, on the game
show: "[It's] original and proprietary" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER,
7/10). Davies said that rather than give away money, the
show "will dangle 'fantasy prizes' that put sports fans in
contact with star athletes or on the scene of major sporting
events." ESPN will own the show (WALL ST JOURNAL, 7/10).
In Orlando, Hal Boedeker writes the show will have "time
limits, humor and an ESPN personality as host." The "low-
cost show will be taped in New York, but it can go live and
travel to sporting events" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/10).
