Disney XD and ESPN Team for “Sport Science” Series
via Disney XD press release:
DISNEY XD TEAMS WITH ESPN TO UNCOVER SPORTS’ BIGGEST MYTHS AND MYSTERIES IN “DISNEY XD ESPN SPORT SCIENCE,” A SERIES PREMIERING SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 ON DISNEY XD
Hosted by John Brenkus and “Kickin’ It” Star and Martial Artist Leo Howard, the Series Features Los Angeles Lakers Star Dwight Howard, Arizona Cardinals Star Larry Fitzgerald and Snowboarder Shaun White
Disney XD has teamed with ESPN to uncover sports’ biggest myths and mysteries, in the series “Disney XD ESPN Sport Science,” premiering SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 (11:00 a.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Hosted by John Brenkus and Leo Howard, black belt martial artist and star of Disney XD’s hit series “Kickin’ It,” the short form series brings together professional athletes in state-of-the-art scientific facilities to test the limits of human athletic abilities, while challenging popular assumptions about athletes and sports.
Combining the best segments of ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning series “ESPN Sport Science,” each episode will feature three segments, with Brenkus and Howard using scientific experiments to test topics, including laws of gravity, momentum, size, speed, skill and stamina.
The series features appearances by NBA stars Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers) and JaVale McGee (Denver Nuggets); NFL stars Vernon Davis (San Franciso 49ers), Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals), Jahvid Best (Detroit Lions) and Brandon Jacobs (San Franciso 49ers); former MLB star and current ESPN analyst Nomar Garciaparra; soccer star Zach Thornton; snowboarders Shaun White and Sage Kotsenburg; skateboarder Bob Burnquist; skier Simon Dumont; Olympic softball player Danielle Lawrie and NCAA basketball player Brittney Griner (Baylor Lady Bears).
In the premiere episode, “Full Contact, MLB Vision, Flips & Spins,” hosts Brenkus and Howard test the impact of a 300-pound heavy bag and showcase how San Francisco 49er Vernon Davis manages incoming forces to block, catch and run; Howard tries to hit a 90-mph fastball and MLB batting champ Nomar Garciaparra tests the reality of keeping an eye on the ball; Howard tries on special eye tracker glasses and investigates how free style skier, Simon Dumont, keeps track of which end is up while flipping in mid-air.
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates.