Eight-Episode Comedy Follows a Crisis Guru As He Pilots a College
Athletic Department On The Brink
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & LOS ANGELES & SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
SUIT UP, a new eight-episode digital series produced by Fox Digital
Studio (FDS), in association with DIRECTV, will debut on Yahoo! Screen (http://screen.yahoo.com)
on September 12. All eight episodes will be available at launch
exclusively within Yahoo! for two weeks, before expanding to additional
digital platforms. Beginning in January 2013, SUIT UP will make
its broadcast premiere on DIRECTV's Audience Network. The broadcast
debut of the series will include bonus content, such as behind the
scenes features and outtakes.
The series follows renowned crisis manager Jim Dunnigan (Marc Evan
Jackson), who takes the helm of a scandal-soaked athletic department at
Glory University. He soon finds himself tasked with rescuing the
school's pristine image, while managing scheming boosters, dysfunctional
recruits and a meddling lawyer who won't go away. With a
multi-million-dollar television contract at stake, not to mention his
career, Jim must find a way to save the school.
In addition to Marc Evan Jackson (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,
Reno 911) as Dunnigan, the show also features Barry Corbin (Modern
Family, The Closer, No Country for Old Men, Wargames), Brian
Thomas Smith (The Big Bang Theory) and a recurring role by
national sports radio and TV personality Petros Papadakis as himself.
The show will premiere on Yahoo! Screen, marking its first video
distribution deal with FDS. The trailer can be viewed here.
"Yahoo!'s huge reach in the sports category and its increasing focus on
scripted entertainment make it the perfect distribution partner for SUIT
UP," said Matthew Glotzer, SVP of Fox Digital Entertainment. "We, along
with DIRECTV, are excited to bring this uniquely funny story to Yahoo!
Screen's vast audience."
With a renewed focus on branded entertainment, DIRECTV has partnered
with FDS to integrate its brand messages into the show's storylines.
"We couldn't be happier with production, the collaboration with entire
team at Fox Digital Studios has been fantastic," said Jon Gieselman, SVP
Marketing, DIRECTV. "Both Fox and DIRECTV have sports deep in our DNA,
so who better to create a tongue-in-cheek look at the world of college
football."
"Yahoo! Screen is a premier destination for online original video
content," said Erin McPherson, VP and Head of Video at Yahoo!. "As the
exclusive launch partner for SUIT UP, we are excited to bring comedy and
entertainment to sports fans and offer more of what our audience wants."
SUIT UP is the fourth original digital series produced by FDS in the
last 12 months, following THE ROPES, WOLFPACK OF RESEDA and LET'S BIG
HAPPY. FDS is a division of 20thCentury Fox Filmed
Entertainment.
About Fox Digital Entertainment
Fox Digital Entertainment (FDE) is a division of 20th Century Fox that
is dedicated to creating new and innovative video content and
applications for emerging distribution channels. FDE develops and
produces original video, applications and games based on both original
concepts and extensions of existing Fox intellectual property. The group
has produced a number of award-winning products, including GLEE KARAOKE,
ANGRY BIRDS RIO and others. Most recently, FDE has launched several
original series, including Vin Diesel's THE ROPES, WOLFPACK OF RESEDA
and LET'S BIG HAPPY. FDE currently has distribution agreements in place
with Crackle, Myspace, Netflix and a number of digital download stores.
About DIRECTV
DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world's leading providers of digital
television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience
through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry
leading customer service to 32 million customers in the U.S. and Latin
America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its 19.9 million customers access
to more than 170 HD channels and Dolby-Digital® 5.1 theater-quality
sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY
TICKETâ„¢, Emmy-award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction
than the leading cable companies for 11 years running. DIRECTV Latin
America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil,
Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American
countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and
service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to 12
million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include
three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and
Pittsburgh) as well as a 60 percent interest in Game Show Network. For
the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! is focused on creating deeply personal digital experiences that
keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to
them, across devices and around the globe. Yahoo!'s unique combination
of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build
their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For
more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net)
or the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal.
Yahoo! is the trademark and/or registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc. All
other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
Fox Digital Entertainment
Dan Berger, 310-369-1274
dberger@newscorp.com
or
DIRECTV
Cara
Brugnoli, 347-224-9534
CMBrugnoli@DIRECTV.com
or
Yahoo!
Kristen
Morquecho, 310-907-2802
kristenm@yahoo-inc.com
Source: Yahoo!
News Provided by Acquire Media