NBC Sports Group has created NBC Sports Films, which will produce sports documentaries that will air across NBC Sports Group’s multiple platforms, including NBC, NBCSN, NBC Sports Regional Networks and NBC Sports Digital.
John Slattery, who played Roger Sterling on Mad Men, will narrate the first project, Center of Attention: The Unreal Life of Derek Sanderson which airs June 8 on NBCSN directly following Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series has been extremely popular, so it makes sense for NBC to try something similar.
“Storytelling has always been a prominent component of NBC Sports’ coverage of signature events. We are excited to expand those efforts and further serve our audience by providing additional long-form content across all NBC Sports Group platforms,” said NBC Sports Group svp original productions and creative Mark Levy.
Center of Attention follows Sanderson’s journey from being the highest paid athlete of his time, only to eventually end up homeless, broke and addicted to drugs and alcohol.