ESPN has acquired exclusive U.S. rights to Richard Brown and Tebogo Malope’s docuseries “Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League” ahead of its world premiere in Toronto. Bell Media acquired the Canadian rights to the film. Fremantle handles global sales.
The four-episode “Origin” chronicles a dream turned reality: the story of when the American National Basketball Association (NBA) committed to launching the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a championship with 12 teams from across the continent representing nations such as Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt.
The documentary features interviews with prominent figures and outspoken supporters of the BAL, such as former U.S. President Barack Obama, Grammy winner and former BAL player J. Cole, four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry and former president of the Toronto Raptors Masai Ujiri, as it chronicles the realization of a decades-long vision for elite basketball across Africa.
“Origin” is produced by Richard Brown’s Passenger and Fremantle. The series is executive produced, written, and co-directed by Richard Brown (“True Detective,” “Outlaw King”) with other executive producers including Masai Ujiri, Akin Omotoso (“Rise”), Fisher Stevens (“Beckham”) and co-director Tebogo Malope (“Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story”). The four episodes trail the BAL’s inaugural season and playoffs while exploring the league’s potential to transform both large-scale sporting and socio-economic opportunities across the continent.
Amadou Gallo Fall, president of the Basketball Africa League, said that the sales agreements with ESPN and Bell Media will allow fans across North America to get “a behind-the-scenes look at the BAL’s historic inaugural season and the impact that the league is having on lives, communities and economies across the continent.”
Richard Brown emphasized how the filmmaking team was granted “remarkable access” to “chronicle not only the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League itself but the personal journeys of the competing players and coaches, as well as the visionaries who are building something historic.”
“To have ESPN and Bell Media — two of the most respected and far-reaching platforms in North America — bring ‘Origin’ to audiences is truly exciting,” added the director. “Their belief in this series ensures this series will have the visibility and impact we hoped for; these are stories of ambition, competition, resilience, and transformation.”
Justin Stockman, VP, content development and programming, Bell Media, highlighted the series’s strong connections to “well-known basketball figures in Canada and Toronto.” “We know this documentary will appeal to Crave and TSN audiences who are looking for compelling, engaging, and inspiring content.”
“Origin” will premiere Sept. 8 and will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers, producers and special guests, examining the League’s role in fostering trans-Atlantic partnerships and developing African basketball talent. Speakers include Brown, Ujiri, Gallo, MVP of BAL’s inaugural season Walter Hodge and two-time NBA all-star Joakim Noah.