ESPN
The latest ESPN “30 For 30” installment is exploring the world of the hit athletic competition series “American Gladiators.” It airs in two parts on Tuesday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET and Wednesday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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The movie airs in two parts on Tuesday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET and Wednesday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, and those parts will be available on ESPN+ immediately following the initial premiere.
Here’s a full rundown of all the different ways you can watch “The American Gladiators Documentary” online:
ESPN+
If you can wait until after the TV premiere, “The American Gladiators Documentary” will be available on ESPN+ after it premieres on ESPN:
ESPN+ includes every 30-for-30 documentary, dozens of different live sports and additional original content (both video and written) all for $6.99 per month (or $20.97 for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch “The American Gladiators Documentary” on the ESPN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch “The American Gladiators Documentary” live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch “The American Gladiators Documentary” live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch “The American Gladiators Documentary” live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
‘The American Gladiators Documentary’ Preview
The latest episode of the Peabody- and Emmy-winning documentary series “30 For 30” is a two-part documentary about the 1990s TV phenom “American Gladiators.”
“The film takes an unconventional approach to the epic tale of the famed reality-competition show. What begins as a traditional sports documentary soon gives way to bigger themes of greed, divergent narratives, and ultimately questions how history itself is written,” reads the ESPN press release.
It continues:
From 1989 to 1996, American Gladiators was one of the most popular syndicated programs in television, a competition show that predated the reality TV era but used many of the same techniques to attract viewers. Every week, “amateur” contestants would go up against a cast of “professional” gladiators in a range of physical competitions, setting up David versus Goliath matchups that were popular with big television audiences but also earned considerable criticism for being “crash TV”.
The show’s cast and crew look back on it all, with their memories complicated by regret over what it did to many of the gladiators’ lives. And as the behind-the-scenes story of the series is told, from the beginning of the film, the central, most compelling character of the story is clear: Johnny Ferraro, the creator of American Gladiators, a former Elvis impersonator from Erie, PA who came to Hollywood with a dream of putting the show on screen and ended up with a singular success.
In the trailer, a female interviewee can be heard saying in a voice over, “The worst parts of history will definitely repeat itself if we don’t remember. That means the whole story.”
The film features original interviews with Ferraro, plus Gladiators Deron McBee (“Malibu”), Michael Horton (“Gemini”), Lynn “Red” Williams (“Sabre”), the late William Billy Smith (“Thunder”) and Salina Bartunek (“Elektra”). The documentary is executive produced by ESPN Films and VICE Studios and produced by Ben Berman, Kirk Johnson, Russell Wayne Groves, Danny Gabai and Andrew Freston.
“We’re very excited to finally get this story out into the world, and you can trust that it’ll take you to some weird places,” said director Ben Berman in a statement. “Come for the 90’s nostalgia, but stay for the Elvis impersonators, the burps, the mental torment, the murder plots, aliens, and of course the undeniable atrocity of America’s dark history. And sports. It’s got some sports too.”
“The American Gladiators Documentary” airs in two parts on Tuesday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time and Wednesday, May 31 at 9 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN.
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How to Watch the American Gladiators Documentary Online