After you make an Oscar-winning documentary epic, what’s next? For ESPN, the answer is a podcast.
Such is the recent arc of ESPN’s beloved documentary series “30 for 30.” In the eight years since its inception, “30 for 30” has been a consistently surprising creature. Its back catalogue — littered with truly great docs like The Two Escobars and The Best There Never Was, not to mention Ezra Edelman’s seven-hour epic O.J.: Made in America, which won ESPN its first Academy Award in February — collectively tells the story of an editorially minded infrastructure that lets its storytellers run wild and free from the constraints of formula.
It is against this internal history that 30 for 30 Podcasts enters the fold. When ESPN announced the adaptation last year, it made all the right moves. It brought in Jody Avirgan, who had successfully led audio efforts at ESPN’s…
