REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL EXPLORES THE INTEGRITY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL MEDICAL CARE; PROFILES CONTROVERSIAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP TYSON FURY; AND REVISITS THE NFL’S STANCE ON MARIJUANA WHEN THE SHOW KICKS OFF A NEW SEASON JAN. 26, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, TV’s most honored sports journalism series, returns with an all-new season of enterprising features and reporting when its season premiere and 226th edition debuts TUESDAY, JAN. 26 (10:00–11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
For up-to-the-minute updates about REAL SPORTS, follow on Twitter at @RealSportsHBO or join the conversation using #RealSports.
Segments include:
Dangerous Conflict. In the college football ranks, day-to-day medical care decisions are made by the team’s medical staff, which is hardly independent. REAL SPORTS takes a revealing look at the conflicts of interest among coaches, doctors and trainers, calling into question the thoroughness of care that student-athletes receive and highlighting the pressure on medical professionals to keep players on the field at any cost. Correspondent Jon Frankel investigates this alarming issue and learns that some believe the programs place a priority on winning football games over their athletes’ care.
Producer: Josh Fine.
The Gypsy King. Wladimir Klitschko dominated the heavyweight division for more than a decade. But on Nov. 28, 2015, before a pro-Klitschko crowd in Dusseldorf, Germany, the United Kingdom’s Tyson Fury pulled off the biggest upset of the year, routing the unified champ by unanimous decision to become the new heavyweight champion of the world.
Within his team, which is composed entirely of blood relatives, the triumph was considered destiny, as he is the direct descendant of two bare-knuckle boxing “kings” from a nomadic clan of Irish gypsies known as Travellers. Today, the 27-year-old, six-foot-nine, undefeated champion is more confident than ever of his boxing prowess and has become known for his brash antics and controversial views. REAL SPORTS correspondent David Scott joins Fury in his Manchester hometown, exploring the fascinating world of a modern-day gypsy king.
Producers: Jordan Kronick, David Scott.
Marijuana in the NFL. In January 2014, REAL SPORTS pulled back the curtain on the NFL’s prohibition of marijuana and explored its potential effectiveness as a treatment for pain. The initial report found some players prefer it to opiate-based painkillers like Vicodin and Oxycodone for pain management, while spotlighting research indicating that marijuana offers potential benefits to traumatic brain injury victims.
Today, despite the decriminalization of marijuana in some states, the recreational drug is still banned by all NFL teams. REAL SPORTS correspondent Andrea Kremer continues to examine marijuana use around the league, with fans often able to enjoy the drug legally, while players are still restricted from using it, despite the potential benefits.
Producers: Chapman Downes, Jake Rosenwasser.
Other HBO playdates: Jan. 26 (5:00 a.m.), 28 (10:00 a.m., 7:00 p.m.), 30 (11:30 a.m., midnight) and 31 (12:30 p.m.), and Feb. 4 (1:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.) and 8 (6:00 p.m., 2:55 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Jan. 27 (3:15 p.m.) and Feb. 1 (8:00 p.m.), 2 (11:00 a.m., 1:45 a.m.), 6 (1:15 p.m., 2:30 a.m.), 10 (5:00 p.m.), 14 (8:00 a.m.) and 16 (11:50 p.m.)
The show is also available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.
On Jan. 19, REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL received its third duPont Award from Columbia University for broadcast excellence. Previously honored in 2006 and 2012, the show was recognized for its eye-opening reporting on Qatar, which was awarded the 2022 World Cup amid a storm of controversy and corruption charges. In addition to receiving duPont Awards and the George. F. Peabody Award, REAL SPORTS has won Outstanding Sports Journalism Emmys® 16 times and earned 28 Sports Emmy® Awards overall since debuting in 1995.
Follow REAL SPORTS updates on HBO.com/realsports and facebook.com/realsports. Immediately following the debut of this month’s show on Jan. 26, log on to HBO.com/realsports for a special overtime session hosted by Bryant Gumbel.
The executive producer of REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL is Rick Bernstein; Joe Perskie is senior producer.
Follow @HBOPR for more news and information.
