Gonzaga basketball team William Mancebo/Getty Images
'Gonzaga: The March to Madness' will chronical the team's journey during the 2015-16 season.
HBO Sports is teaming up with IMG’s Original Content unit for Gonzaga: The March to Madness, a reality series chronicling Gonzaga University’s men’s basketball team during its 2015-16 season.
The unscripted five-episode series, narrated by Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), will debut Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, with the finale airing March 15, the first day of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Championship Tournament.
Joining the team at the start of the season in November, the series chronicles the hard work game-by-game in the highly competitive West Coast Conference, with the goal of a berth in the NCAA Men’s Championship Tournament. It will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes footage that reveals how a small college in Spokane, Wash., has achieved success against all odds.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs (“the Zags”) are consistently one of college basketball’s leading programs, ending last season 35-3. Head coach Mark Few, who is at the helm for his 17th season, has been instrumental in the team’s success, leading the Zags to 16 consecutive NCAA tournaments.
“We are always looking for fascinating stories that will appeal to our subscribers, and this project will shine a spotlight on one of the most successful basketball programs in America,” said Rick Bernstein, executive producer of HBO Sports. “Gonzaga University has built a tremendous program, but so many of its accomplishments and backstories are largely unknown.”
“Every March, Gonzaga rallies the global basketball community around them,” added WME | IMG’s chief content officer Mark Shapiro. “The Zags are a team with incredible leadership, dedicated players and a history like no other. Having spent months documenting their journey, we could not be more excited to share this unique, all-access story in partnership with HBO.”
“Coaches, players and staff have enjoyed the process so far and look forward to the rest of the season,” said Few. “This is a great product that will give our fans a first-class look at our program.”
Gonzaga: The March to Madness is executive produced by Bernstein, Will Staeger, Mike Antinoro and Fred Christenson, with supervising producer Bentley Weiner.
