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EPIX Partners with Sports Programming Legend Ross Greenburg to Produce New Documentary;
"Football's Forgotten Heroes" Tells Story of the Integration of Professional Football
New York, NY - July 9, 2013 - EPIX announced today that it is working with legendary sports producer Ross Greenburg on a new EPIX original sports documentary, Football's Forgotten Heroes, a compelling story about the first African American pro football players. The documentary will premiere early 2014 on the EPIX network, on EpixHD.com and on EPIX apps on hundreds of tablets, mobile devices and gaming consoles.
Football's Forgotten Heroes brings to life a slice of American history that has never been told before with the story of four brave African American men - Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley and Bill Willis - and the courageous heads of the Cleveland Browns and LA Rams - Paul Brown and Dan Reeves - who broke the color barrier in pro football in the year 1946. Their efforts led to the integration of professional football one year before the color barrier was broken in Major League Baseball. Through the eyes of their family descendants and those who have researched these remarkable stories, the EPIX original documentary relives this important saga in American history. Wes Smith of Pro Arts Management is executive producer.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Ross Greenburg to tell this ground-breaking story and to celebrate the courage and leadership that re-defined the way American sports are played," said Mark Greenberg, EPIX President and CEO.
Recognized as one of the most innovative producers and best storytellers in television, Ross Greenburg is President of Ross Greenburg Productions and founded the company after a 33 year career at HBO. Mr. Greenburg has won more than 85 major television sports awards including 51 Sports Emmy(R) Awards, 8 Peabody awards, 21 Cable ACE awards, 12 Cine Golden Eagles Awards and five Monitor Awards from the Video Tape Production Association.
"We are pleased to work with EPIX to capture the remarkable journey of these trailblazers as they transformed American life and to tell their story so that these courageous men finally get the recognition they deserve," said Greenburg. "This is a piece of American sports history that has never seen the light of day."
Greenburg's award winning sports documentaries include: "When It Was a Game," "Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals," "Lombardi," "Dare to Compete: The Struggle of Women in Sports," "Do You Believe in Miracles: The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team," and "Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team."
About EPIX
EPIX(R) is the newest premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic library titles, plus original films, comedy, music and sports events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched October 2009 as the first multiplatform premium network with online accessibility for subscribers through EpixHD.com, EPIX pioneered the development and proliferation of TV Everywhere for American consumers. EPIX was the first premium network to launch on Xbox 360(R)consoles, first on Android(TM) tablets and phones, first on Roku(R) players and soon to be the first to launch on PlayStation(R)3 (PS3(TM)) system. EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple(R) iPads(R), iPhones(R), Kindle Fire tablets, Samsung(R) Smart TVs and Blu-ray(TM) players and more. Today EPIX remains the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up from new Hollywood hits to original programs on all platforms and provides more movies than any other premium network.
EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.
For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EpixHD.
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