ESPN Telefilm Conjures Solid Ratings
‘Black Magic’ Becomes Net’s Most-Watched Documentary
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 3/22/2008 7:13:00 AM
A film chronicling the injustices of the civil rights movement as told by basketball players and coaches at Historically Black Colleges and Universities became the most-watched documentary in ESPN history.
The first installment of Black Magic, directed by Dan Klores, averaged a 1.3 household rating and 1.21 million households and 1.55 million viewers on March 16, surpassing the 1.14 million households that tuned in the Through the Fire in March 2006.
The second installment of Black Magic the following night averaged a 1.0 rating, 948,000 homes and 1.18 million viewers.
“With the national discourse swirling around the topic of race, the success of Black Magic speaks to the desire of sports fans for content that explores new voices on the American sports story,” said Keith Clinkscales, senior vice president, ESPN content development and enterprises, in a statement. “We thank Mr. Klores for delivering such a high-quality and thought-provoking film, as we endeavor to deliver more from ESPN Films in the coming months.”
To that end, ESPN, which has backed away from original series production, recently announced that it was stepping up its commitment to both telefilms, as well as theatricals.
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