There's nothing The Onion loves more than to make fun of other media, and sports coverage -- with its inflated egos, brash pace and overzealous coverage -- offers plenty of fodder for the show's executive producers, Julie Smith and Will Graham. The show hopes to appeal to fans of sports and The Onion alike.
"If I were ESPN, I'd consider a whole new line of work," quipped CEO Steve Hannah.
The Onion, a U.S.-based news satire organization, has conscientiously worked to develop its online video offerings over the past few years, frequently utilizing its online platform to poke fun at technology companies like Google, Apple and Twitter. The Onion's Sports Network show is one of five series offered on its website, Hulu and YouTube.
It's not often that an online video series is picked up by a major TV network and made into a scripted show. The popular web series Ronna and Beverly failed to get picked up by Showtime despite social and mainstream media coverage. Will Ferrell's Funny or Die was more successful, however; it was adapted by HBO earlier this year. Other forms of online media have recently achieved similar success; Twitter account Sh*t my Dad Says and internet meme Texts From Last Night made headlines last fall by securing deals with CBS and Fox, respectively.
Will you tune in to watch the Onion Sports Network on Comedy Central? What do you think about the broader trend of mainstream media picking up and producing online content? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.