Sports fans, get ready for new original sports films to head to Apple TV+. Apple Original Films has set a first-look feature deal with Nike’s Waffle Iron Entertainment and Makeready to develop and produce sports films.
Per Deadline, the two giants will team up to deliver a series of films. The two companies are aiming to help inspire the next generation of athletes while also celebrating the power of sport. This news arrives at a time when streamers are heavily supporting live sports rights and narrative while also focusing on documentary content for athletics.
Nike and Apple Banding Together for Sports Films
For this venture between two brands, Apple is set to finance and distribute the projects. Nike’s dedicated production label Waffle Iron’s Justin Biskin will produce. Makeready’s Brad Weston and Collin Creighton will also produce for Nike. Weston is no stranger to sports films, including the Oscar-nominated The Fighter, which was while he was head of production at Paramount Pictures.
Concerning Apple, under Zack Van Hamburg & Jamie Erlicht, Apple Original Films has already snagged one Best Picture Oscar for CODA, and the Emmy-winning series Ted Lasso shows Apple knows a good sports story. Furthermore, in the sports world, Apple is also developing a Formula One racing film that stars Brad Pitt. Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinkski will direct, with Formula One champ Sir Lewis Hamilton set to produce.
Apple TV+ already has a decent reach into sports. Including this new deal, there is also the four part Magic Johnson docuseries They Call Me Magic. There is also Greatness Code, which reveals what it takes to succeed in the world of sports. Greatness Code features Lindsey Vonn, Marcus Rashford, Rusell Wilson and more. Additionally, The Dynasty is a documentary featuring the New England Patriots. This comes from Imagine’s Brian Grazer & Ron Howard, as well as NFL Films.
Apple is looking to bring in sports fans, and with this host of new content, it will also go great with its Friday Night Baseball deal that it has with the MLB.