Beginning Friday, September 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET, HDNet viewers can catch a half hour packed full of hilarious improvisational comedy when they tune into the original comedy series SPORTS ACTION TEAM.
The program will have its broadcast premiere on Sunday, September 9 on NBC affiliates including: New York (TBD), Los Angeles (9:00 p.m.), Chicago (11:45 p.m.), Philadelphia (TBD), San Francisco (9:00 p.m.), Dallas (TBD) and a number of other NBC stations and other broadcast network affiliates in nearly 40% of the country. For complete times, show clips and other fun Sports Action, visit SportsActionTeam.com.
SPORTS ACTION TEAM is a semi-scripted series that follows the antics of a hapless team of reporters who cover the national sports beat. The show incorporates real-world professional and amateur athletes, managers, sports enthusiasts and celebrities along with the cast of improvisational comedians made up of alumni members of Chicago-based improv comedy groups Improv Olympic and Second City.
This season the team crosses paths with talented athletes, agents and sports legends like former NFL all-star Jerry Rice, former NFL player and coach Mike Ditka, super agent Leigh Steinberg, Dallas Cowboy Roy Williams, Cincinnati Bengal Rudi Johnson, Oakland Raider Kirk Morrison, Cleveland Brown Eric Steinbach, Chicago Bear Robbie Gould, Dallas Maverick Jerry Stackhouse, Chicago Bull Chris Duhon and Indy car racer Danica Patrick.
Regular cast members include Kevin Fleming, Steven Fleming, Niki Lindgren, Antoine McKay, Katie Nahnsen and Al Samuels.
MGM will handle the worldwide television distribution of the series exclusively.
"HDNet is excited to be the high def home for SPORTS ACTION TEAM," said Mark Cuban, president and co-founder of HDNet. "The behind-the-scenes part of sports interviews is pretty crazy as it is. Mix in some comedic improv and world famous sports stars and the result is a great show that HDNet viewers will love."
Chicago-based Towers Productions, Inc. produces SPORTS ACTION TEAM. For more information, press photos, or additional review copies of the program, please contact Mike Schmiedeler at 312-601-8356 or Mike.Schmiedeler@towersproductions.com.
About HDNet
HDNet (www.hd.net) provides viewers with the best in original comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming.
HDNet is your exclusive, high definition home for popular, critically acclaimed original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," "Dan Rather Reports" featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather and "NASA on HDNet" (presenting live shuttle launches through 2010). HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, NASCAR Grand National Division, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup re-broadcasts, boxing and Mixed Martial Arts; groundbreaking music programming with the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including U2, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani and more, plus original music programs "Sound Off with Matt Pinfield," and "True Music w/Katie Daryl"; entertaining interview shows including "Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone" and "Higher Definition," in addition to fun and irreverent lifestyle programming including "Geek to Freak with Dennis Rodman," "Deadline!,""Art Mann Presents," and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to the critically acclaimed and award-winning programs such as the Emmy Award-winning "Arrested Development," "The Black Donnellys," "Blade: The Series," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Dead Like Me," "Smallville," "Joan of Arcadia," "Boomtown" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe."
HDNet Movies also features a wide selection of major studio theatrical releases - all uncut, unedited, and appearing in their original aspect ratio so that HDNet Movies viewers get the best possible home theater experience.
Only HDNet Movies exclusive "Sneak Previews" bring feature films to viewers before they premiere in theaters. Some of the HDNet Movies "Sneak Previews" have included the Academy Award-nominated "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," Toronto Film Festival nominee "The War Within," and "Bubble," the first of six movies by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh and produced exclusively for HDNet Films and, most recently, "Broken English," from Zoe Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands, Parker Posey, Drea de Matteo and Griffin Dunne. Upcoming Sneak Previews include "Quid Pro Quo," starring Nick Stahl and Vera Farmiga, "Hunter," the story of the life and death of infamous gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson from director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter, "Cashback," written and produced by Sean Ellis, "Flawless," starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore, and "Closing Escrow," a real estate mockumentary featuring April Barnett and Allen Friedman.
Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information, visit www.hd.net.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,000 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 110 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
