Disney is putting sports at the forefront of their upfront presentation and one of their most popular ESPN original series has been Peyton’s Places. The Peyton Manning produced franchise had a big announcement at Disney’s upfront as Peyton announced an expansion of the series as well as a renewal of the original Peyton’s Places and Eli’s Places.
The franchise will have three new shows with Sue Bird hosting a show on college basketball, P.K. Subban on hockey, and John McEnroe on tennis.
All three hosts have professional ties with ESPN, even though two of them are still active players. McEnroe has been with the network for years on their Grand Slam coverage but Subban is an analyst for ESPN’s Stanley Cup Playoff coverage as he recently became an unrestricted free agent. Bird is in her 19th season with the Seattle Storm but just recently took part in a MegaCast with Diana Taurasi that was well-received by the general public.
Starting in 2019 with Peyton Manning covering pro football, the Peyton’s Places franchise sends a top athlete from that sport across the country to interview notable figures and look back at some of the most historical and culturally impactful moments from that sport. There are spinoffs hosted by Eli Manning (college football), Abby Wambach (soccer), Ronda Rousey (MMA/pro wrestling), David Ortiz (baseball), and Vince Carter (basketball).
[ESPN/Photo: ESPN PR]
About Phillip Bupp
Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.
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