While boxing is "still the bread and butter" of Showtime Sports, company Exec VP & GM Stephen Espinoza is "rapidly pushing the premium cable channel to expand its sports programming beyond the ring," according to Stephen Battaglio of the L.A. TIMES. Showtime is "ramping up its documentary slate in an effort to lure -- and retain -- viewers who have many more options in a fast-changing TV world." Espinoza: "If our sports programming is just a miniature version of a sports network, it’s not going to be very satisfying. There has to be a different texture, a different substance, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” Battaglio noted Showtime under Espinoza’s watch "developed '60 Minutes Sports'" in '13, and the channel has also "unscripted behind-the-scenes series that give viewers inside access to pro and college teams." Espinoza’s next move is "stepping up Showtime’s production of original feature-length sports documentaries," debuting five between November and mid-'17. Showtime execs "would not reveal how much they are investing in sport documentaries, but the programs’ value is clear." LHB Sports, Entertainment & Media President & CEO Lee Berke said, "Sports fans love classic stories to be told. They love history and great emotional moments and they want to re-live them again and again. From an economic standpoint they are relatively inexpensive.” Even as Espinoza "tries to broaden Showtime’s sports program lineup, he’s still committed to boxing at a time when his network’s chief competitor, HBO, has shown signs of pulling back." The sport "remains a big draw for Showtime customers -- 30% of them say it’s a factor in subscribing to the service" (L.A. TIMES, 11/29).
COMING SOON: CBSSPORTS.com's John Breech noted a documentary "detailing the tragic life" of former NFLer Lawrence Phillips will be shown Dec. 16 on Showtime. "Running For His Life: The Lawrence Phillips Story" comes 11 months after Phillips "was found dead inside of a California prison cell." The documentary will "take a detailed look at what led to Phillips' dramatic downfall." It will "include interviews with his college coach (Tom Osborne), the NFL coach who drafted him (Dick Vermeil) and several other football luminaries -- like Steve Young and Nick Saban -- who crossed paths with Phillips during his short NFL career" (CBSSPORTS.com, 11/28).
