ESPN and Vice have announced a partnership that will see Shane Smith‘s company produce short-form content for the sports network, beginning April 27. Vice Sports will produce new original series that will air across ESPN, and select 30 for 30 documentaries from ESPN Films will air on Vice’s new TV network, Viceland.
“Growing up watching ESPN I came to love the brand and their content. Maybe a little too much,” said Smith, co-founder and chief executive of Vice Media. “The amount of manly tears shed over various 30 for 30’s throughout the years has been nothing short of embarrassing.”
Smith and ESPN president John Skipper announced the deal in New York Tuesday. “Shane and the team at Vice do an extraordinary job presenting stories through their own, very unique lens—and working with them will help to bring a new perspective to our storytelling,” said Skipper.
The Vice deal will include coverage of offbeat sports around the world–and an animated series. Vice World of Sports executive producer and host Selema Masekela has already traveled to Ghana, Cuba, and Kenya shooting stories–some of which feature in a new Viceland trailer: