First episode will air June 4-5th, 2022 across 100+ Gray Television local stations
Pilot to feature former football greats Warrick Dunn and Victor Cruz and current Carolina Panthers’ linebacker Shaq Thompson
CANTON, Ohio – June 3, 2022 – Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football, and Tupelo Honey, one of the nation’s largest independent production companies, today announced the premiere date for INSPIRED: Heroes of Change. The pilot episode will air on June 4-5th, 2022, across over 100 of Gray Television’s (NYSE: GTN) local stations.
Hosted by New Orleans Saints Hall of Famer Deuce McAllister and WVUE FOX 8 Morning Edition Anchor Kelsey Davis, INSPIRED: Heroes of Change will tell the incredible stories of pro football greats of the past and present as they work to change the future of underserved youth across the country. Pro Bowl wide receiver Victor Cruz discusses the mission of the Victor Cruz Foundation and how it is helping to promote S.T.E.A.M education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. Pro Bowl running back Warrick Dunn discusses Warrick Dunn Charities and their mission to break the cycle of generational poverty. Current Carolina linebacker Shaq Thompson, the Panther’s 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, talks about the Thompson Legacy Fund and his Shaq Smiles program, which helps to bring free dental care to underserved youth in impoverished areas.
Olivia Steier, Executive Vice President of Hall of Fame Village Media (HOFVM), stated, “This collective effort with our partners at Tupelo Honey is another win for HOFVM, which continues to develop innovative content and utilize HOFV’s relationship with professional athletes and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. INSPIRED: Heroes of Change exemplifies the type of unique content that can be expected from HOFVM as it merges meaningful proprietary content with engaging and authentic storytelling.”
Executive Producers for INSPIRED: Heroes of Change include Steier, Cary Glotzer, CEO at Tupelo Honey, and Sandy Breland, SVP of Gray Television.
More information on the series will be provided after the pilot air date.
About Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame's campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.
About Hall of Fame Village Media
Established in 2021, Hall of Fame Village Media is a premiere, multi-dimensional content studio on a mission to honor the past and inspire the future. Not limited by the confines of traditional studios, Hall of Fame Village Media does it all – creating engaging content across all genres, lengths, and mediums including TV and streaming series, films, games, events, podcasts, branded content and emerging media. With unique ties to one of the most revered institutions in all of sports, Hall of Fame Village Media leverages its unprecedented access to deliver a compelling content lineup that showcases the very best of professional athletes, both on the field and under the helmet.
About Tupelo Honey
Tupelo Honey is a full-service production company with over 24 years of experience in sports, music and entertainment. One of the nation’s largest independent production companies, Tupelo Honey produces live network broadcasts, live streams, REMI live video productions, documentaries, reality programming, commercials, branded entertainment, promos and digital content. Featuring offices in New York, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Nashville and Charlotte, Tupelo’s Emmy Award-winning staff creates content across all linear, digital, OTT and social media platforms. Tupelo Honey is owned by Gray Television.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made herein are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “opportunity,” “future,” “will,” “goal,” “enable,” “pipeline,” “transition,” “move forward,” “towards,” “build out,” “coming” and “look forward” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others, the Company’s ability to manage growth; the Company’s ability to execute its business plan and meet its projections, including obtaining financing to construct planned facilities; potential litigation involving the Company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s products and services, and in particular economic and market conditions in the resort and entertainment industry; the effects of the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on capital markets, general economic conditions, unemployment and the Company’s liquidity, operations and personnel; increased inflation; the inability to maintain the listing of the Company’s shares on Nasdaq; and those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in our reports and other public filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Media/Investor Contacts:
For Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
Media Inquiries: public.relations@hofreco.com
Investor Inquiries: investor.relations@hofreco.com
Tupelo Honey Media Contact:
Scott Kono: scott.kono@tupelohoney.net