Connor Schell

Connor Schell is an American producer of television and film and founder of non-fiction production studio Words + Pictures. He is the co-creator with Bill Simmons and executive producer of the 30 for 30 series for ESPN.[1][2] He is also a creator and executive producer of 30 for 30 shorts.[3] Schell was also an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning documentary film O.J.: Made in America.[4]

Connor Schell
Schell at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards
Alma materHarvard University (B.A.)
Columbia Business School (M.A.)
Occupation(s)TV and film producer
EmployerESPN
OrganizationPeabody Awards Board of Directors
Children3

From 2017 to 2020, Schell was executive vice president and head of content at ESPN.[5] At ESPN, he was responsible for overseeing ESPN's content creation across television, digital (Espn.com and the ESPN App), and print platforms including live event programming and studio programming.[6] He is a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors.[7]

Schell left ESPN in 2020 to start a joint venture with Chernin Entertainment, founding the non-fiction production studio Words + Pictures in 2021.[8]

In 2021, Schell and Chernin launched Full Day to focus on live entertainment, specials, and unscripted series.[9] The company acquired Hock Films in 2022, producers of films such as The Best That Never Was, Survive and Advance, Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies, and Of Miracles and Men.[10]

Education and personal life

Schell holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Harvard University and a Master's in Business Administration (with a focus in Media and Entertainment) from Columbia Business School.

He lives in New York, and is married with three children.[3]

Films

As part of Words + Pictures, Schell executive produced Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy on Netflix. He also executive produced Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, a real-time chronicle of Inspiration4, the historic SpaceX Dragon mission that launched four civilians into space. Schell will be executive producing an upcoming eight part documentary on the Yankees dynasty: The Yankees Win.[11]

Schell is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning 10-part docuseries The Last Dance. The Last Dance was a weekly series on ESPN from April 19, 2020 through May 17, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and when all live sports were suspended indefinitely. The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards and was the most watched “30 for 30” in ESPN history.[12]

Connor is a producer of the 2016 documentary film O.J.: Made in America along with Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Libby Geist, Tamara Rosenberg and Nina Krstic.[13] O.J.: Made in America premiered on ABC on June 11, 2016.[14] The film won an Oscar, a Peabody Award, and Best Documentary honors at the Gotham Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, the IDA Awards, the Producer's Guild Awards, National Board of Review, and NY Film Critics. OJ: Made in America was honored with special recognition from the AFI and a Dupont Award for Journalism. The documentary originated from conversations between Schell and Edelman in early 2014,[4] and is the longest film ever to win an Oscar. The film was also nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards.[15]

Along with Bill Simmons, Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray and Joe Roth, Connor served as an Executive Producer of the 2014 Disney film Million Dollar Arm.[16]

Schell served as an Executive Producer for the 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe, the first Disney film on which ESPN Films has a presentation credit.[3]

Television production

The 30 for 30 series, created by Schell and Bill Simmons, was created in 2007 and has aired since 2009. It has won four Emmy Awards[17] and a Peabody Award.[18] In 2012, Simmons and Schell announced the creation of 30 for 30 shorts.[19][20]

Working with Maura Mandt and MaggieVision productions, Schell is the executive producer of the annual ESPY Awards on ABC.[21] He has been the executive producer of the show since 2013.

Under Schell's company Full Day, he oversees the annual productions of the Oscars Red Carpet show, the Savage X Fenty fashion show, and NFL Honors.[22]

In 2014, the Disney XD channel premiered the series Becoming which was created by Schell, Bill Simmons, Erin Leyden and Gentry Kirby. Becoming is a series of 30 minute documentaries profiling athletes such as LeBron James, Alex Morgan, Tim Howard, Henrik Lundquist, Chris Paul and CC Sabathia. The show is executive produced by Schell and Simmons along with Libby Geist, Maverick Carter and LeBron James.[23]

In 2008, Schell was an Executive Producer on Dan Klores' four-hour film Black Magic, the first film to run under the ESPN Films brand. Black Magic won a Peabody Award in 2008.[24]

References
  1. Sandomir, Richard (March 21, 2015). "Documentaries Are the Go-To Players of Sports Television". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  2. Rose, Lacey (June 21, 2010). "Talking TV With ESPN's Connor Schell – Forbes". Forbes. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  3. "Connor Schell – ESPN MediaZone". espnmediazone.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  4. Watercutter, Angela. "The Epic Story of 'O.J.: Made in America's' Creation". Wired.
  5. Petski, Denise (June 16, 2017). "ESPN Revamp Continues With Connor Schell Named EVP Content". Deadline.
  6. "Connor Schell: Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, ESPN Films and Original Content". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  7. "Our Story". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  8. Steinberg, Brian (February 10, 2021). "Connor Schell, Chernin Entertainment Will Launch New Non-Fiction Studio". Variety.com.
  9. Morfoot, Addie (March 26, 2022). "Connor Schell Has Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Live-Event Arm, Full Day Productions". Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  10. "Hock Films". hockfilms.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  11. Lopez, Isabelle (February 15, 2023). "ESPN Films Announces Multi-Part Documentary Event "The Yankees Win"". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  12. "Viewership numbers from 'The Last Dance' prove Michael Jordan documentary was a smash hit". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  13. "Forty Under 40: Connor Schell". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  14. Times, Los Angeles (March 30, 2016). "ESPN sends a message in film-vs-TV debate: It will qualify upcoming O.J. Simpson series for the Oscars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  15. "ESPN's Oscar-winning 'O.J.: Made in America' nominated for 6 Emmys". July 13, 2017.
  16. "ESPN's Bill Simmons, Connor Schell to Exec Produce 'Million Dollar Arm' (Exclusive) | Hollywood Reporter". hollywoodreporter.com. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  17. "Fourth Annual Television Academy Honors". Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  18. "30 For 30". Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  19. Sandomir, Richard (May 15, 2012). "ESPN Doubles Up on '30 for 30' Documentary Series". Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  20. The Paley Center for Media (January 29, 2015), Bill Simmons, Connor Schell & Jason Hirschhorn talk Sports Storytelling at 2014 Paley IC Summit, retrieved July 1, 2016
  21. "ESPN execs explain decision to give Caitlyn Jenner an ESPY | SI.com". si.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  22. Morfoot, Addie (March 26, 2022). "Connor Schell Has Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Live-Event Arm, Full Day Productions". Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  23. Kevin Noonan (February 10, 2015). "LeBron James and "30 for 30" Producers Set Sports Docu Series at Disney XD – Variety". variety.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  24. "Black Magic". peabodyawards.com.
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