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ESPN Shelves Spike Lee’s Colin Kaepernick Docuseries Citing Creative Differences

The parties cited undisclosed creative disputes under an NDA after ESPN granted the NFL a minority stake in its media assets

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This Jan. 1, 2017, file photo shows then San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick speaking at a news conference after the team’s NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara. ESPN has confirmed it will not move forward with a highly anticipated docuseries about Kaepernick, who ignited a national movement in 2016 by kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
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Colin Kaepernick puts his hand over his heart in response to a comment at a special training event created by Kaepernick to provide greater access to scouts, the media, and the public, at Charles. R. Drew High School in Riverdale, Georgia, U.S., November 16, 2019. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage/File Photo

Overview

  • ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee issued a joint statement announcing they will not proceed with the multi-part documentary due to certain creative differences
  • Spike Lee confirmed “it’s not coming out” at a Beverly Hills fundraiser and said a nondisclosure agreement bars him from elaborating
  • The series was planned as an eight-part, first-person account of Kaepernick’s journey with production beginning in 2022 and co-producing credit to Jemele Hill
  • The cancellation came days after ESPN granted the NFL a 10% equity stake in NFL Network, NFL Fantasy and RedZone, prompting questions over editorial independence
  • Neither Kaepernick’s representatives nor other participants have offered comment and the specific nature of the creative disputes remains confidential