Former ESPN president John Skipper and ESPN presenter Dan Le Batard have today signed a content deal with Apple TV+, under their ‘Meadowlark’ banner. The production company will create documentary films and unscripted series for Apple’s streaming service. The announcement was first reported by Deadline.
To date, Apple TV+ has only dipped its toes in unscripted sports content. This includes the ‘Greatness Code’ shorts released last year. Upcoming sports content in the pipeline includes ‘Big Man on Campus’, a docuseries about basketball phenomenon Makur Maker.
Of course, the service’s biggest hit so far is sports-adjacent, the comedy Ted Lasso. The platform just released youth basketball drama Swagger to much critical acclaim.
As Apple TV+, the company has been aggressively expanding its reach into more and more niches. The first look deal with Meadowlark is just the latest in a long line of deals with high-profile creators. Meadowlark was setup by Skipper and Batard in January, with Apple now becoming its biggest attached partnership.
Prior to setting up Meadowlark, Skipper spent six years as president of ESPN. Le Batard currently hosts the popular podcast ‘The Dan Le Batard Show’.