Patriots QB Tom Brady will be featured in a new documentary series on Facebook Watch that will follow him as he not only "pursued his sixth Super Bowl championship" but also conducts his "ongoing subversion campaign against the actuarial tables of quarterback longevity," according to Mark Leibovich of the N.Y. TIMES. The six-episode series, titled "Tom vs. Time," will post later this month. Filmmaker Gotham Chopra was "granted sweeping access to Brady in an array of intimate settings," including "extensive footage of Brady at his Brookline, Mass., home" with his family. Brady in the series is "barely seen" at Gillette Stadium or "pretty much anywhere in the Patriots’ facilities." It is "unclear if Brady has even told" coach Bill Belichick about the project. Patriots VP/Media Relations Stacey James said that the team was "nominally aware that a Brady documentary was in the works." Leibovich reports the first four installments of the series contain "some big elephants that go unmentioned to this point," such as the reported tension within the Patriots organization. There is also "no discussion" of the player protests around the national anthem, nor is there any mention of the Jimmy Garoppolo trade or Brady's "polarizing 'body coach,' business partner and best friend, Alex Guerrero" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/10). In Boston, Nicole Yang writes Brady will "welcome viewers with a never-before-seen peek into his private life" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/10). ABC's Paula Faris said, "This is access never expected from Tom Brady, who is an ultra-private person." ABC's Michael Strahan said he was "surprised" Brady would allow such access to his private life ("GMA," ABC, 1/10).
PROGRAMMING ALERT: AD AGE's Garett Sloane noted Facebook has been "developing unique sports stories to draw an audience to Watch," such as "Tom vs. Time." Instead of "just showing game clips, which it also does, it tries to create shows around the personalities," like the LaVar Ball-headlined "Ball In The Family." It also "recently reached a deal with CBS late night shows to post clips from the broadcasts, like they do on YouTube." Facebook "hopes the fan bases of sports stars and late night comedians can get users interested in Watch, making it a place to build communities around the programs" (ADAGE.com, 1/9).
