ESPN's Fall Slate of Critically Acclaimed "30 for 30" Series Wraps up with "The U" - ESPN's Most Watched Documentary

Fall slate for the series earns an average rating of 1.0

ESPN Films wrapped up the fall slate of the critically-acclaimed "30 for 30" film project with Billy Corben's The U, Saturday night immediately following the Heisman Trophy presentation, and earned a 1.8 rating. That represents an average of 1.8 million homes (2.368 M viewers, P2+) and is ESPN's highest-rated documentary of all time (The Greatest Game Ever aired December 13, 2008, and earned a 1.4 rating - 1.369 million households, 1.811 M viewers). For the "30 for 30" series Fall slate overall, the seven films earned an average 1.0 rating (1,007,000 homes, 1,258,000 viewers).

"The '30 for 30' series was conceived to tell rich and meaningful stories from great filmmakers," said Keith Clinkscales, senior vice president, ESPN content development and enterprises. "We believe we have delivered great content and fans of sports and film have responded."

The films that have aired to date as part of "30 for 30" have been directed by some of Hollywood's finest directors and producers, including Barry Levinson, Peter Berg and Mike Tollin. They have focused on some of the most compelling topics in the past 30 years in sports ranging from the end of the USFL to the title fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes to the story of the Baltimore Colts Marching Band, which continued to march even though the team had moved to Indianapolis.

The next "30 for 30" film, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks directed by Peabody Award winning director Dan Klores, is scheduled to air Sunday, March 14 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

"30 for 30"

Other previously announced "30 for 30" projects are: Reggie Rock Bythewood (One Night in Vegas), Academy Award winner Bill Couturi� (Guru of Go), Ice Cube (Straight Outta L.A.), Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary (The 16th Man), Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Steve Bartman: Catching Hell), Jonathan Hock (The Best That Never Was), Academy Award nominee Steve James (No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson), the duo of Lucas Jansen and Adam Kurland (Silly Little Game), Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine (Birth of Big Air), Peabody Award winner Dan Klores (Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks), two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple (The House That George Built), Academy Award nominee Frank Marshall (Right to Play), Steve Michaels, Joel Surnow and Jonathan Koch (Charismatic), Academy Award nominee Brett Morgen (June 17, 1994), two-time NBA MVP and first-time filmmaker Steve Nash (Into the Wind), Academy Award nominee Ron Shelton (Jordan Rides the Bus), John Singleton (Marion Jones: Press Pause) and Jeff Zimbalist (The Two Escobars).

The remaining 23 films in the ESPN Films "30 for 30" project will be aired throughout 2010, with a spring slate and announcement regarding the final five films available in December 2009.