Programming note: ESPN continues 30 for 30 documentary strand with new films; ESPN Classic gets docufilms for February 2013.

ESPN (DStv 230) will continue to roll out new documentaries in South Africa and Africa under its 30 for 30 programming brand which started in 2010.

The new strand of 30 for 30 documentaries started on 9 October with Broke (which will be shown again on 23 November at 00:00).

The next four films are There's No Place Like Home (27 October at 23:00), Benji (30 October at 19:00), Ghosts of Ole Miss (6 November at 19:00) and You Don't Know Bo (11 December at 19:00).

To accompany these documentaries, ESPN has commissioned a 30 part digital short film series, 30 for 30 Shorts which viewers can view online at ESPN's website.

ESPN has also acquired a series of documentaries which will be shown in February 2013 on ESPN Classic (DStv 231). Play from director Manuel Herrero looks at the sociological aspect of sport and why humans take part. Jorge Mendes - Superagent follows one of the world's leading sports agents.


Here's what the specific new documentaries in the 30 for 30 strand are all about:

Broke

Broke explores the roads to fortune in American sports and eventually, the many detours to bankruptcy.  Bernie Kosar, Andre Rison and Cliff Floyd are among the athletes who talk openly about the challenges of managing their money in an era when big contracts don’t necessarily support bigger lifestyles. Sucked into bad investments, stalked by freeloaders and saddled with medical problems, many pro athletes get shocked by harsh economic realities after years of living the high life. A story of the dark side of success.

There’s No Place Like Home

On December 10, 2010, Sotheby’s auctioned off the most important historical document in sports history - James Naismith’s original rules of basketball. There’s No Place Like Home is the story of one fan’s obsessive quest to win this seminal American artefact at auction and bring the rules “home” to Lawrence, Kansas, where Naismith coached and taught for more than 40 years.

Benji

In 1984, 17-year-old Ben Wilson was a symbol of everything promising about Chicago: a beloved, sweet-natured youngster from the city’s fabled South Side, and America’s most talented basketball prospect. His senseless murder the day before his senior season sent ripples through Chicago and the nation.

Ghosts of Ole Miss 

In 1962, the University of Mississippi campus erupted in violence over integration and swelled with pride over an unbeaten football team. Mississippi native Wright Thompson explores the tumultuous events that continue to shape the state 50 years later.

You Don’t Know Bo

Bo Jackson hit 500 ft. home runs, ran over linebackers, and - for a small window - he was the best athlete America had ever seen. You Don’t Know Bo is a close look at the man and marketing campaign that shaped his legacy. Even without winning a Super Bowl or World Series, Bo redefined the role of the athlete in the pop cultural conversation.