ESPN greenlights docuseries on Toronto Tempo, Serena Williams and Ryan Reynolds among EPs

The Toronto Tempo will be the subject of a new ESPN docuseries.

ESPN announced Monday it has greenlit “Setting the Tempo,” a four-episode series on Canada’s first WNBA franchise, directed by Kathleen Jayme, whose previous credits include the ESPN 30 for 30 “I’m Just Here for the Riot.” The series will follow the Tempo’s all-women leadership group — president Teresa Resch, general manager Monica Wright Rogers, a two-time WNBA champion, and head coach Sandy Brondello, a two-time WNBA champion and 2014 WNBA Coach of the Year — as they built Canada’s first WNBA franchise from scratch.

The series is being produced by Robin Roberts’s Rock’n Robin Productions, Ryan Reynolds’s Maximum Effort, Masai Ujiri’s Ujiri Productions, and Serena Williams’s Nine Two Six Productions, with Williams, Ujiri, and Lilly Singh all serving as executive producers alongside their roles as Tempo owners.”

ESPN greenlights ‘Setting the Tempo’ 🏀🇨🇦

A 4-part ESPN Original Series on Canada’s 1st @WNBA franchise, @TempoBasketball

Exec. produced by @RobinRoberts, @serenawilliams, @VancityReynolds, Masai Ujiri & Lilly Singh & directed by @katjaymefilms

🔗 https://t.co/NTUhFqPZjN pic.twitter.com/jSj5n70wUy

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 15, 2026

Williams has an established track record with ESPN — her Nine Two Six Productions previously collaborated with the network on the “In The Arena” series — and Reynolds’s Maximum Effort produced “Welcome to Wrexham,” the documentary series about his ownership of Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC that became a model for this kind of franchise-building project, as well as an upcoming docuseries on the Edmonton Oilers’ 1980s dynasty. Roberts’s Rock’n Robin Productions released “Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story” on Hulu in March, making “Setting the Tempo” her second women’s basketball project of the year.

“As someone who has loved women’s basketball and had the privilege of being part of the WNBA’s story since the very beginning, this project feels incredibly special,” said Roberts in a statement. “The launch of the Toronto Tempo represents a defining moment for the league and for women’s sports in Canada. This series captures the passion, pressure and purpose behind building a franchise from the ground up, while shining a light on the women leading the way and shaping the future of the game.”