Deepening its connection to the sports world Facebook is launching a new series about the University of Kentucky basketball team on its Facebook Watch platform.
The series, Inside the Madness: University of Kentucky Basketball, has its debut Saturday with the first of 10 episodes. Before the March Madness season starts, new episodes will appear once a week. Once the season starts, two episodes will drop each week until March 31.
Facebook Watch Trailer
Produced by Crazy Legs Production and Blue Eyes Entertainment and executive produced by the people behind Showtime’s A Season With, the plans to offer fan access to one of the most storied college basketball programs in the country.
“This is the story of young men, led to be a team by their greatness and willingness to sacrifice, finding their way on the biggest stage in college basketball,” says Tom Cappello, Executive Producer for Crazy Legs Productions. “It’s an honor to be welcomed into the Big Blue Nation and we are excited to create a new experience for fans that will allow them to see a more personal side of the players and coaches that make up this team.”
Related: PBS Live-Streams Ann Curry's 'We'll Meet Again' on Facebook Watch
Showrunner Jason Sciavicco said this type of show has never been done with the Kentucky basketball team.
“We are proud to give viewers a look inside the legendary program. Our cameras have been embedded with the team since November and viewers will see what it truly takes on and off the court to compete at the highest collegiate level for one of the most legendary coaches,” Sciavicco said.
Fans can add the show to their Watchlists by following the Inside the Madness: Kentucky Basketball show Page.
We get approached all the time to do all-access shows,” said Kentucky coach John Calipari. “The one question I always have is, what is our why? Why are we doing this? As our fans know, we are transparent in everything we do so there is never a concern about the access we give. It's, what makes this different than any other show?”
“What I liked about Jason and Tom’s approach to this show is what they wanted to show. It wasn't about the games or showing how I coach or a lesson in Kentucky basketball; it was about showing the type of kids we have here and the family atmosphere we've created,” Calipari added. “They wanted to show that there's more than just wins and losses with these kids; it's about preparing them for the rest of their lives. The great thing is their crew can do that while being of no distraction to our team and our goals. They're around, but they're a fly on the wall. We get to open the doors to our team in a way we've never done before while I coach my team and these kids learn."
