ESPN AND THE NFL TO COLLABORATE ON MOVIES;

THE ICE BOWL TO BE FIRST PROJECT

 ESPN and the National Football League will collaborate on two original, made-for-TV-movies as part of a multi-year development agreement, it was announced jointly today by Mark Shapiro, ESPN executive vice president, programming and production, and John Collins, NFL senior vice president, marketing and corporate sales.  The movies will be made in association with Emmy-award winning NFL Films. 

The first project under the new partnership will be The Ice Bowl, ESPN’s third original movie, which was announced earlier this year.  Currently in the development stage, The Ice Bowl will be a rendering of actual events as they unfolded on December 31, 1967 -- when two great football teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, faced each other on the frozen turf in Green Bay.  At stake: the NFL championship and the right to play in Super Bowl II. The movie will premiere on ESPN Saturday, December 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

"The combined resources of ESPN and the NFL will ensure these dramatic projects are authentic and compelling," Shapiro said. 

Said Collins, "The NFL is deeply embedded in American culture, providing memorable moments that transcend sports. The unscripted drama and pageantry of the NFL lends itself to stories that surpass Hollywood creations.  We look forward to working with ESPN to deliver great movies."
            Orly Adelson of Orly Adelson Productions (The Truth About Jane, Love, Honor and Betrayal) will serve as executive producer.  Adelson was executive producer of ESPN’s critically acclaimed TV-movie, The Junction Boys (2002).  As President of Orly Adelson Productions since its formation in 1995, Adelson has become recognized as one of the most prominent and distinguished producers in the television and film industry.
            ESPN Original Entertainment continues to develop a wide-variety of branded programming to add to the network’s comprehensive event and sports news coverage. Using a collection of vehicles – original movies, reality-based shows, scripted dramas, documentaries, game shows and more – ESPN’s goal is to broaden its audience by more strongly appealing to younger and casual sports fans.

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Media Contact:             Rob Tobias, ESPN  (860) 766-2240 or rob.tobias@espn.com
                                   Brian McCarthy, NFL (212) 450-2000 or mccarthyb@nfl.com