Film Forties
Peter Berg (founder)
Matthew Goldberg (partner)
getty images
Peter Berg is reminded of the impact that he and his production company have made in sports entertainment every time a fan comes up to him to share their thoughts on “Friday Night Lights,” the popular film and television series that he developed. But those types of exchanges reached new heights a few years ago when Ezekiel Elliott approached Berg while they were in a VIP area at a music festival. Elliott, then a star running back for the Dallas Cowboys, lifted his shirt to reveal quotes from the show tattooed on his chest.
“I was like, ‘Damn. That’s legit,’” Berg recounted during a 2019 appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
Berg’s impact on the sports entertainment landscape begins with “Friday Night Lights,” which won the 2005 ESPY Award for Best Sports Movie, but that’s not where it stops. Film Forties, which was founded by Berg and is co-led by partner Matthew Goldberg, is not a sports-exclusive production company but has consistently tackled sports-related projects. The company is a major player in sports scripted content with titles such as USA Network’s “Dare Me” in 2019; in unscripted content with titles such as a 2021 documentary for Netflix on tennis star Naomi Osaka and a 2019 documentary for ESPN on heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury; and in branded content, a pertinent example of which is the NFL’s 100th anniversary commercial, which debuted during the 2019 Super Bowl and which Berg directed. The commercial, which featured appearances by dozens of the game’s brightest stars and alumni, was so popular that a behind-the-scenes look at its development has drawn nearly 3.5 million views on YouTube.
In that appearance on Eisen’s show, Berg explained that he was at the Super Bowl in Atlanta when the commercial was played live at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Again, Berg had a chance to feel the impact of his production company.
“The audience got quiet right away when they realized what they were seeing,” Berg said. “Then they started clapping and laughing and cheering.” — Erik Bacharach
