BBC launching Amazing Sport Stories podcast
October 10, 2023
The BBC World Service and BBC Sounds have announced the launch of a new podcast, Amazing Sport Stories.
A BBC press release said: “This is about sport but not as you know it. Think underdogs, myths and drama. There are other podcasts about champions, team news and millionaire superstars – this one is about courage, rulebreakers and expecting the unexpected. We’ve searched the world for these amazing tales, which will be told in mini-seasons and short stories. You don’t need to be obsessed with sport or even a sports fan to find yourself immersed in these stories.”
The podcast will kick off with its first mini-season on October 30th, which will be presented by Canadian ice hockey legend, double Olympic gold medallist and broadcaster, Cassie Campbell-Pascall (pictured). This mini-season, by production company Mags Creative, will tell the story of a 12-year-old from Canada who just wanted to play ice hockey – with the boys. When she was told she couldn’t, she turned from the ice rink to the court, transforming a sporting fight into a legal battle.
A later series will delve into something strange and mysterious plaguing a legendary Gaelic football team. Is it a curse? Then there’s the story of 14 black American football players who were kicked off their team in 1969 for planning a protest against racism at another university. There are stories lined up from Zambia, Iran and the Himalayas and also some that delve into sports listeners may not even know exist. Mini-seasons of Amazing Sport Stories will tell stories over three to four episodes.
Jon Manel, BBC World Service Podcast Commissioning Editor, commented: “At the heart of every episode of this podcast is an amazing, unputdownable story. Some are about glorious achievements against all odds, others are about mystery and wonder and then there are heart-wrenching tales of hope turned to dust. With the BBC World Service’s global reach, these stories come from all over the world.”
Anna Doble, BBC World Service Sport Commissioning Editor, added: “This is a sport podcast where we don’t care about score lines and fixtures, we care about the human instinct to try to be the best. These stories capture the emotion, struggle and sometimes plain craziness that those ambitions involve. I’m very excited about revealing these stories and I guarantee you’ll want to retell them to your friends.”
Amazing Sport Stories will be available on BBC Sounds and most podcast platforms. Mini seasons will be broadcast on BBC World Service radio.