Sports Illustrated Thursday said it has launched a new digital channel that will feature original, sports-themed films.
Sports Illustrated Films will debut on the newly created SI.com/films channel and will feature content created from filmmakers within SI parent Time Inc. as well as outside the company, said officials. SI will launch six films before the end of the year.
Two new films released today on the site include Brett Favre: Life After the Game, which profiles the NFL legendary quarterback, and The Rise and Fall of the Danbury Trashers, about a minor league hockey team based on a 2014 Sports Illustrated story.
The site will also feature an archive of more than 40 SI productions, including all three seasons of its series Underdogs, said officials.
As part of the initiative, SI has reached a production agreement with Mandalay Sports Media and Velocity to produce a variety of programming under the “Sports Illustrated Films” banner, according to officials. Mandalay will produce Patrick and ‘Zo, focusing on the rivalry and friendship between legendary NBA centers Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning, while Velocity will develop a new video franchise devoted to the greatest moments in sports.
“We see amazing potential for Sports Illustrated-branded programming both domestically and internationally, and we are going to pursue those opportunities very aggressively,” said J.R. McCabe, senior vice president of Time Inc. Video in a statement. “Today’s announcements reflect the vision we have for many of our brands.”
