Peyton Manning’s Peyton’s Places series has come a long way since its 30-episode first season premiered on ESPN+ in July 2019. That was soon followed by the November 2020 premiere of the second season, the March 2021 announcement of the college football-focused Eli’s Places, the fall 2021 launch of the ManningCast alternate Monday Night Football broadcast, and Manning’s Omaha Productions launching further spinoffs with Abby Wambach (soccer), Ronda Rousey (MMA/wrestling/boxing), David Ortiz (baseball), Vince Carter (pro basketball), Sue Bird (college basketball), and John McEnroe (tennis). And now, another spinoff announced in 2022, P.K.’s Places, with former NHL star and current NHL on ESPN analyst P.K. Subban, has its first episode available on ESPN+ as of Wednesday:
Let's take a trip around the world of hockey with my friends & I!
Stream Episode 1 of P.K.'s Places now on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/fBZqgp673s
— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) May 3, 2023
Here’s more on it from a release:
P.K. Subban hosts P.K.’s Places, a hockey-centric expansion of the Peyton’s Places franchise, exclusively on ESPN+, where he explores the history of professional hockey. Through conversations with hockey legends of the past and present and celebrities who love the game, P.K. will showcase what makes hockey popular from backyards to major stadiums. Episode 1 of the ESPN+ Original show is available now on ESPN+.
“I’m excited to bring fans into the history and traditions of hockey in P.K.’s Places,” said Subban. “We’re featuring so many incredible current players, legends, coaches, and the biggest celebrity fans.”
…“The story of ice hockey is filled with wild superstitions and endless passion,” said Manning. “P.K.’s Places will uncover all that makes the game so special and why the biggest moments seem so indelible.”
That release indicates that the first episode has P.K. Subban meeting up with Peyton Manning, who gets to spend a day with the Stanley Cup. Subban then heads to Boston to learn about Ray Bourque’s Stanley Cup victory (which came in his final NHL game, with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001). Other guests set to be featured this season include Martin Brodeur, Pat Maroon, Gary Bettman, Chris Chelios, Kenan Thompson, and Josh Duhamel. Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press got a good quote on the new series from ESPN’s Lindsay Rovegno:
“It’s incredible, and I think it really shows the commitment to diversity that ESPN and Disney and Omaha and the NHL has to really growing the game and expanding the roots,” ESPN senior managing producer Lindsay Rovegno said. “He’s a natural choice. He’s passionate, he’s high energy, he’s fun. It’s really very clear that he wants to expand the game and wants people to see that there’s a history, but there’s also a really fun element to the sport.”
It’s certainly interesting to see another Manning/Omaha “Places” series come to fruition. And this is a good time to launch it, in the middle of both ESPN and WBD drawing strong ratings for their NHL playoff coverage. We’ll see how this is received.
[ESPN Press Room, The Associated Press]
