60 Minutes Sports
A sports-focused spin-off of 60 Minutes on Showtime.
From January 2013 to March 2017, *60 Minutes Sports* aired on Showtime as a sports-focused spin-off of the CBS newsmagazine *60 Minutes*. The program covered sports topics, featured interviews with prominent figures, and revisited sports stories from the *60 Minutes* archives, with additional contributions from CBS Sports personalities. CBS News chairman Jeff Fager said the show would deliver the same quality of original reporting and storytelling as the Sunday night broadcast. Its debut episode included a story on Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal, an interview with Lionel Messi, and an update on a previous piece about Alex Honnold. The *Los Angeles Times* suggested the series was designed to compete with HBO’s *Real Sports*. In January 2017, a CBS News spokesperson confirmed the show’s cancellation to TVNewser, and the final episode aired on March 7, 2017. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS announced on May 26, 2020, that it would air a six-episode compilation of segments from the series, titled *60 Minutes Sports: Timeless Stories*, on weekend afternoons from May 30 to June 14 as schedule filler.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- News television series
- Creator
- Based on 60 Minutes, by Don Hewitt
- Starring
- Sharyn Alfonsi / James Brown / Anderson Cooper / Armen Keteyian / Lara Logan / Scott Pelley
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Producer
- CBS News
- Location
- CBS Broadcast Center, / New York City, NY
- Runtime
- 60 minutes
- Network
- Showtime
- First Aired
- 2013-01-09
- Last Aired
- 2017-03-17
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
CBS News chairman Jeff Fager stated that the program would 'offer the same high-quality, original reporting and great storytelling our viewers have come to expect every Sunday night on CBS.' The premiere episode featured a story on Lance Armstrong's doping scandal, an interview with Lionel Messi, and an update to a past story on Alex Honnold. The Los Angeles Times noted that the series was likely intended as a competitor to Real Sports, a similar sports newsmagazine broadcast by HBO.
Reader's Guide
60 Minutes Sports served as a specialized extension of the 60 Minutes brand, bringing its signature investigative and feature storytelling to the realm of sports. Its significance lies in its attempt to carve out a space on premium cable for sports journalism, directly competing with HBO's Real Sports. The series drew on the extensive archives of 60 Minutes and the expertise of CBS Sports personalities. Its cancellation in early 2017 ended the program's original run, but its legacy was revisited in 2020 when CBS aired a six-episode compilation of segments titled 60 Minutes Sports: Timeless Stories as schedule filler during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating the enduring appeal of its content.
Did You Know?
- 60 Minutes Sports aired on Showtime from January 2013 to March 2017.
- The premiere episode included a story on Lance Armstrong's doping scandal and an interview with Lionel Messi.
- The Los Angeles Times noted the series was likely intended as a competitor to HBO's Real Sports.
- In May 2020, CBS aired a six-episode compilation of segments as schedule filler due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 60 Minutes Sports?
It was a sports-dedicated spin-off of CBS's 60 Minutes that aired on Showtime, delivering original reporting, high-profile interviews, and archival sports stories in the same storytelling style as the Sunday-night parent show.
How long did 60 Minutes Sports run?
The series premiered in January 2013 and concluded in March 2017, giving it roughly four years on Showtime before its cancellation was confirmed in January 2017.
What was in the debut episode of 60 Minutes Sports?
The first broadcast opened with a deep-dive report on Lance Armstrong's doping scandal, included a sit-down interview with soccer legend Lionel Messi, and wrapped with an archival update pulled from the main 60 Minutes library.
How did 60 Minutes Sports differ from the original 60 Minutes?
Where the parent program covered a wide array of news topics, the spin-off narrowed its lens entirely to athletics and supplemented its reporting with contributions from CBS Sports personalities.
Why is 60 Minutes Sports notable in TV history?
It was one of the few major network newsmagazines to launch a dedicated sports companion on a cable platform, and CBS News chairman Jeff Fager publicly pledged it would match the quality of the flagship Sunday broadcast.
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