ESPN+ Original Series Peyton’s Places Continues

Mac Nwulu

August 21, 2019

Episodes 6-12 – Peyton and Ray Lewis in Baltimore, Fantasy Football with Matthew Berry, the Lombardi Trophy, Da Bears, Unbreakable Records, and More
A New Episode to be Unveiled Each Week Throughout the 2019 NFL Season

The ESPN+ original series Peyton’s Places, which debuted Monday, July 29 continues with weekly episodes hosted by former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. The 30-episode, football-themed documentary series is produced by NFL Films and ESPN+ and is part of the year-long celebration of the National Football League’s 100^th season. A new episode of Peyton’s Places will debut exclusively on ESPN+ every Sunday throughout the 2019 NFL season, culminating February 2, 2020 – the date of Super Bowl LIV.

In episodes 6-12, Peyton visits with Ravens Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis in Baltimore, explores the origins of fantasy football with ESPN’s Matthew Berry, ventures inside the Wilson football factory in Ada, Ohio, in search of the perfect ball, and takes his brother Eli on a journey into the history of the Lombardi Trophy. Peyton also shares his experience playing against game-wreckers like Texans All-Pro J.J. Watt with a cameo by former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman. Peyton also becomes the ultimate fan of “Da Bears” in a tribute to the classic Saturday Night Live sketch, and he explores NFL records that will stand the test of time with Hall of Famers Brett Favre, Eric Dickerson and Emmitt Smith.

Highlights:

Episode 6 – Ray Lewis (August 19): Peyton visits Baltimore where his failure to include defensive stars on his journey leads to a confrontation with Ravens Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis – streaming now on ESPN+.
Episode 7 – The Origins of Fantasy Football (August 25): Peyton meets up with ESPN Fantasy Football guru Matthew Berry in the lobby of the New York hotel where fantasy football was born, and reveals the role of the Raiders in the creation of fantasy football in the NFL.
Episode 8 – The Birth of the Ball (September 1): Over 100 seasons, the football has evolved from the original watermelon ball to the model used today. Peyton meets up with former teammate Brandon Stokely to trace the history of the football, and later ventures inside the Wilson football factory in Ada, Ohio, to make the perfect pigskin.
Episode 9 – The Lombardi Trophy (September 8): Every NFL team covets the Lombardi Trophy, named after Vince Lombardi, one of the legendary figures in the history of the league. Peyton and his brother, Eli Manning, the Giants two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, go on a journey to discover the history behind the trophy and attempt to recreate the original prototype.
Episode 10 – Game Wreckers (September 15): Peyton meets up with Texans All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt, one of the game’s most fearsome defenders, gets slugged by a baseball bat, and gets in the ring with George Foreman to explain how dealing with pass rushers is similar to being in a heavyweight brawl.
Episode 11 – Da Bears (September 22): Actor George Wendt and writer/comedian Robert Smigel, who play Bill Swerki’s Superfan characters in the popular Saturday Night Live skit, turn Peyton into a born-again Chicagoan as a fan of Da Bears.
Episode 12 – Unbreakable Records (September 29): Hall of Famers Brett Favre, Eric Dickerson and Emmitt Smith have achieved milestones no player in the league is likely to match or surpass. While discussing whether their respective NFL records will stand the test of time, Peyton visits with Smith at his memorabilia storage unit, dons Dickerson’s goggles, and shares cheese curds with Favre.

PEYTON’S PLACES AT DISNEY’S D23 EXPO: A CONVERSATION WITH JIM BROWN

Peyton’s Places will be a featured attraction at the ESPN+ Pavilion at Disney’s D23 Expo 2019 in Anaheim, Calif., this weekend (Aug 23-25). Guests will be able to view and connect with the show through an interactive exhibit – including artifacts from NFL history, and on Friday morning at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, ESPN’s Trey Wingo will host a special screening and live discussion with NFL legend Jim Brown.

D23 Expo brings together all that Disney offers audiences under one roof for three days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more.

In episodes 1-5 (available on ESPN+), Peyton examines the creation of the National Football League in a Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio, re-enacts the 1926 Giants publicity stunt throwing a pass off the top of the Radiator Building in New York City, explores the history of the quarterback position, reveals how the NFL Draft became must-see television for fans, and shows the evolution of the wide receiver.

About Peyton’s Places

Peyton’s Places offers a fun, insightful tour through 100 years of football, following the sport and the league’s rise to an American cultural touchstone. For nearly a year, Peyton crisscrossed the country, visiting the people and places that have played an important part in the making of the NFL – highlighting memorable events, teams, players and trends over the past century. Peyton and NFL Films producers chose the people, places and stories in the series.

About ESPN+:

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached two million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com.

-30-