or


[12/16/11 - 12:15 PM]
Grammy Award-Winning Musician Nelly Writes and Performs Original Song for ESPN's Bowl Coverage
The song, "The Champ," was written by Nelly specifically for the network's game and studio shows.

[via press release from ESPN]

Grammy Award-Winning Musician Nelly Writes and Performs Original Song for ESPN's Bowl Coverage

ESPN's exclusive coverage of 33 college football bowl games will feature extensively an original song by two-time Grammy Award-winning musician Nelly. The song, "The Champ," was written by Nelly specifically for the network's game and studio shows. It will make its worldwide debut on Saturday, Dec. 17 with an ESPN and ESPN3 tripleheader beginning at 2 p.m. ET with the Gildan's New Mexico Bowl (Temple vs. Wyoming). ESPN's bowl coverage will conclude with the Allstate BCS National Championship (LSU vs. Alabama) on Monday, Jan. 9, at 8:30 p.m.

In addition, ESPN filmed a full-length video of Nelly performing the song to accompany various game highlights montages surrounding the telecasts. It marks the first time ESPN has produced a video of an entire original song for use during its coverage.

The song and portions of the video incorporating college football highlights will be featured in various ways during game and studio telecasts across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com, including as part of pre-game, halftime and post-game reports; as the networks go to and return from commercial breaks; in highlight montages; and for promotions of upcoming programs and show segments.

Nelly said about the song, "'The Champ' brings together two of my favorite things - music and sports. I've watched football and ESPN my whole life so to do this song was a real privilege. I hope it gets champions everywhere hyped for their big day!"

Kevin Wilson, ESPN music director added, "It was an honor that someone I respect like Nelly thought to reach out to us about this song. I've had the good fortune to work with many talented musicians in my role at ESPN but Nelly was the first to call and sing an unreleased song he had written to me for use on our air."

The full version of "The Champ" will be available for purchase as a single on iTunes beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

About Nelly

Nelly, a Grammy-winning, multiplatinum hip-hop, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, was a standout member of the St. Louis rap collective the St. Lunatics before embarking on a successful solo career with Universal Motown Records. His first single called "Country Grammar" featuring a familiar nursery rhyme hook was followed up with a debut album of the same name that spawned three hits, spent seven weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart, scored three Grammy nominations, and sold an astonishing 9 million copies worldwide.

Ranked No. 3 on Billboard's definitive list of the best-selling artists of the 2000s, Nelly has sold more than 30 million albums/singles in less than 10 years and is tied with Elton John for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a male solo artist.





  [december 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[04/19/24 - 07:04 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Official Trailer for "Maxton Hall - The World Between Us"
Produced by UFA Fiction, the German series tells the modern love story of James Beaufort and Ruby Bell, an upper-class boy and a working-class girl in a world of glamor, prestige, secrets, and drama.

[04/19/24 - 06:45 AM]
ESPN Delivered Top Two Most-Watched SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Eastern Conference Games Ever on April 17
The 76ers 105-104 victory over the Heat averaged 3,403,000 viewers, peaking with 5,490,000 viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET.

[04/19/24 - 06:00 AM]
Video: "Welcome to Wrexham" - Season 3 Official Trailer - FX
The Emmy award-winning series returns May 2 on FX.

[04/18/24 - 05:01 PM]
Video: First Look at Season 2 of "Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars" Premiering Wednesday, May 22, on FOX
Gordon Ramsay and Lisa Vanderpump each bring their expert knowledge and unique leadership styles to the second season of the competition series.

[04/18/24 - 04:09 PM]
"Fallout" Has a Blast of a Debut: Amazon MGM Studios and Kilter Films' Hit Series to Return for Season Two
In its first four days, the high-octane fueled series has become a hit with its global audience, ranking among the service's top three most-watched titles ever and the most-watched season globally since "Rings of Power."

[04/18/24 - 04:01 PM]
Netflix Announces Production of "Last Samurai Standing": An Epic Battle Royale for Survival in Historic Japan
Based on the novel "Ikusagami" by Shogo Imamura, winner of the 166th Naoki Prize in 2021, the series features the multi-talented Junichi Okada in the lead role.

[04/18/24 - 01:31 PM]
"Call Me Country: Beyonce & Nashville's Renaissance" from CNN FlashDocs Comes to Max April 26
As Beyoncé recently became the first Black woman to ever top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, a larger conversation about what defines country music has exploded into the zeitgeist.

[04/18/24 - 11:59 AM]
Starz Releases First-Look Photos for the Highly Anticipated Fourth and Final Season of "Power Book II: Ghost"
Additionally, Golden Brooks will join the upcoming season in a recurring role as Janet Stewart, Monet Tejada's cousin.

[04/18/24 - 11:33 AM]
New TLC Medical Series "Botched Bariatrics" Premiering on Wednesday, May 15th
The new medical transformation series features patients whose lives have been turned upside down after suffering complications from their bariatric surgery.

[04/18/24 - 11:09 AM]
Lifetime Extends Relationship with Garcelle Beauvais
Following the critically acclaimed "Black Girl Missing" movie in which Beauvais starred in and executive produced in 2023, Lifetime extends the franchise with two new movies with Beauvais set to executive produce.

[04/18/24 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Renews Critically Acclaimed Hit "Elsbeth" for Second Season
"'Elsbeth' has charmed audiences with its singular blend of delightful humor, distinctive 'how-done-it' storytelling, and the inventive, brilliant quirkiness of Elsbeth Tascioni," said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment.

[04/18/24 - 10:11 AM]
ABC's "9-1-1" 100th Episode Propels Series to No. 1 Drama in Primetime in Adults 18-49
The milestone 100th episode was the top program of the night, scoring a season-high on linear after 7 days of viewing in Adults 18-49 (0.91 rating), marking the show's best L7 rating since its season finale last year.

[04/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Nikki Glaser: Someday You'll Die" Debuts May 11
"I'm so grateful that once again, HBO has put their trust in me to say what I feel into a microphone while wearing a tiny dress," Glaser said. "Someday I'll die, and when I do, I hope I'm remembered for this performance (and this dress)."

[04/18/24 - 09:31 AM]
Video: Paramount+ with Showtime Releases the Official Trailer and Key Art for "The Chi"
The series recently wrapped production in Chicago on the remaining eight episodes of the supersized 16-episode season.

[04/18/24 - 09:07 AM]
TNT Sports Announces Commentators for 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Presented by GEICO First Round Games on Saturday, April 20
TNT Sports will drop the puck on its coverage of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with up to 28 First Round games, starting Saturday, April 20 with Game 1 of New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes on TBS, truTV and Max's B/R Sports Add-On.