ESPN Friday at a World Cup preview event in N.Y. announced ESPN Films will be developing a six-part, "Hard Knocks"-style documentary series on the U.S. national team. "Inside: U.S. Soccer's March to Brazil" will debut May 13 and continue to June 11, just before the start of group play. ESPN also debuted a new marketing spot for the World Cup, entitled "Global Issues." Among other changes in ESPN's planned World Cup coverage: an expansion in postgame nightly studio coverage from 30 minutes to 90 minutes and the addition of ABC News' Bob Woodruff and Paula Faris to the coverage team.
The net has branded its forthcoming World Cup production as the most extensive and complex of any event in its 35-year history. The efforts arrive even as ESPN lost the rights to the '18 and '22 World Cups to Fox. "Our commitment to soccer remains very sincere, very high and we want to leave behind after this event a very high bar," ESPN President John Skipper said. Fox Sports execs have been invited to Brazil to see ESPN's World Cup production to help ensure what Skipper called "a proper handoff."
