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“We believed this day would come, we worked hard to make it happen and we’re thrilled that it is here.” – Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager Showtime Sports®“This is the biggest boxing event of all time, we’re confident of that. We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it and help craft it.” – Ken Hershman, President HBO Sports®TV Picks: Live on Pay-Per-View Saturday, May 2: It’s a done deal! Undefeated Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) will fight longtime rival Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) in a Welterweight World Championship Unification Bout live on Pay-Per-View on […]...

Exclusive: HBO Sports is re-teaming with filmmaker Peter Berg for another documentary series. Following their collaboration on the cinéma vérité series On Freddie Roach, HBO has given the green light to State Of Play, from Berg and Sarah Aubrey’s Film 44 and Herzog & Co. Each episode will spotlight a topic or person that has had a great impact on the sports world, opening with a brief overview followed by a 40-minute cinéma vérité documentary and concluding with an in-depth, 20-minute roundtable discussion of the issue with the filmmakers, subjects and guest experts to be moderated by Berg. State Of Play will premiere on December 4 with State of Play: Trophy Kids, an examination of the obsession a growing number of parents have in the scholastic athletic competition of their children. The documentary was produced by Jake Wood, Chris Bell, Leland Anderson and Anthony Melillo. “Peter Berg has a long history of producing exceptional,...

Soledad O'Brien is making the leap to HBO, joining the team at HBO's "Real Sports."

Following her final appearance as anchor of CNN's "Starting Point" earlier in the spring, O'Brien will now work alongside Bryant Gumbel and his crew, the network announced on Wednesday (June 12). As the Associated Press reports, her first story, due this month, will be about war veterans who use martial arts as a way of coping with their post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It's exactly what I've been doing for a long time -- telling stories about human beings and their struggles," O'Brien says of her new gig. "HBO is undeniably a leader in meaningful storytelling in a wide array of formats. I'm honored to join the 'Real Sports' team and look forward to continuing my fervor for uncovering unique and impactful stories."

In addition to working on the show, O'Brien and her newly-formed production company, Starfish Media Group,...

Soledad O'Brien is about to get sporty with the cable channel Former "Starting Point" anchor O'Brien is joining HBO's magazine program "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel," HBO Sports President Ken Hershman said Wednesday. Also read: Soledad O'Brien Leaving Morning Show, Staying at CNN In addition to signing on the "Real Sports" team, O'Brien has entered an overall deal with HBO via her Starfish Media Group, which will give HBO the first look at scripted projects and long-form programming concepts that she and her team develop. "HBO is undeniably a leader in meaningful storytelling in...

Soledad O'Brien is joining HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, the network announced on Wednesday. 

"Soledad is a perfect fit for Real Sports," Ken Hershman, president of HBO Sports, said in a statement. "She's an extraordinary interviewer and storyteller, and we're thrilled to be able to add her to a franchise where the emphasis is on finding and presenting thought-provoking stories in the diverse and ever-fascinating world of sports."

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HBO Go might not yet be offered as a Netflix-styled streaming service (fingers crossed that will happen one day), but it is going to be getting in on the live streaming phenomenon. HBO Sports president Ken Hershman claimed at Harvard Law School's Sports Law Symposium that viewers will be able to live stream sports events through HBO Go by the end of 2013.

The most likely form of live sports that would stream on HBO Go would be boxing. Multiple attendees at the event confirmed Hershman's statements over Twitter, though HBO has not officially announced the shift to live streaming.

HBO Svp of corporate affairs Jeff Cusson refused to confirm the news when The Verge reached out for comment. "We're always exploring ways to enhance HBO Go, but we have no immediate plans to offer live boxing on the platform," Cusson says. No guarantee Hershman's claim will pan out, but it...

After struggling to find an NFL team to chronicle for its seventh season, HBO’s Hard Knocks has landed in Little Havana, reports the Washington Post. The sports miniseries will focus on the Miami Dolphins, who accepted the opportunity to step into the spotlight after the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Houston Texans, and Minnesota Vikings all told the network “no thanks.”

According to the Post, the team will struggle with, among other things, the search for a franchise quarterback (all hopes are pinned on rookie Ryan Tannehill), the loss of wide receiver Brandon Marshall,...

HBO and Sports Illustrated are uniting to create a multi-part documentary "Sport in America: Our Defining Stories," the companies announced Tuesday. The documentary, which will also be presented by Endgame Entertainment and Playground, will examine "how the universal thread of sport has shaped America’s character," according to the announcement. This will include personal narratives from participants in pivotal moments in sports history. Also read: Ken Hershman Tapped as President of HBO Sports The project will be complemented by editorial packages from Sports Illustrated -- and, as is increasingly the case these days, there...

Stephen Espinoza, most recently a partner at entertainment law firm Ziffren Brittenham, has been tapped as Evp and General Manager of Showtime Sports and Event Programming, the network announced today. He will be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the group and its pay-per-view unit; managing relationships with distributors, talent and suppliers; and the acquisition and licensing of programming. The move is the final one in a game of musical chairs that began when longtime HBO Sports chief Ross Greenburg left after 33 years at the premium channel. He was replaced last month by Showtime’s sports head, Ken Hershman, leaving the vacancy at Showtime that Espinoza has now filled. (Greenburg landed last week at a producer at NBC Sports Group.) While at Ziffren Brittenham, Espinoza repped numerous A-list film and TV clients, He also handled boxers Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya and was lead counsel for De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions,...