NHL Going Hollywood With NHL Original Productions
By BigLeadSports
NHL Original Productions will develop content in alliance with Ross Greenburg, through Ross Greenburg Productions. Greenburg previously worked for HBO for three decades, the last 11 years as the president of HBO Sports.
The NHL and Greenburg previously worked together on HBO: Broad Street Bullies and 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic.
Among the projects being planned for NHL Original Productions in 2011-12 are “Day in the Life” player documentaries revealing the regimens and personalities of NHL players appearing in NHL on NBC games.
Plans also are being developed for documentaries and features to coincide with the lead up to the NHL’s Centennial Celebration in 2017. Greenburg will also work with independent producers and filmmakers to produce hockey films and other documentaries and reality-based series focused on the sport.
In addition, NHL Original Productions said it would develop original content for use by the league’s media platforms (NHL Network and NHL.com) as well as national and regional rights holders.
“Extending our programming and production capabilities through this relationship with Ross Greenburg will allow us to do more story-telling, bring fans further inside the game and promote our players through compelling content that our avid fans crave and new fans will embrace,” John Collins, NHL COO, said in a statement.
According to Greenberg, “Though I’ve long been a fan of the game, my passion for hockey – particularly the way it is played at its highest level in the NHL – was intensified by working on the Broad Street Bullies and 24/7 projects.
“Hockey players compete in a sport that requires an unmatched combination of world-class skill and relentless toughness, all the while remaining the most approachable and genuine of professional athletes. I am thrilled to be able to tell their stories in exciting and innovative ways and delighted that I’ll be working so closely with the NHL for years to come.”