Zig Zag gets back into production with TNT Sports climate change doc and Football Academy S3

Danny Fenton (left) and Matt Graff

London-based factual prodco Zig Zag, which collapsed last year, has made a comeback with a climate change-themed sports documentary commission from TNT Sports and a renewal for BBC kids’ format The Football Academy.

Playing for our Future is a feature-length doc investigating the impact of climate change on the world of sport. Fully funded by energy supplier Utilita and made in collaboration with Infinitum Entertainment and the AMS Media Group, the project will extend its reach through short and mid-form content across linear, digital and social channels, featuring films spotlighting football, rugby, cricket, cycling and motorsport.

Produced and directed by Dan Riley with Zig Zag’s CEO Danny Fenton and MD Matt Graff as exec producers, Playing for our Future will premiere on April 1 on Warner Bros Discovery-owned TNT Sports 1 and stream on Discovery+.

Season three of The Football Academy, meanwhile, will air on kids’ channel CBBC and stream on iPlayer this autumn. The 15×30’ series, set in the Tottenham Hotspur Academy for S3, provides behind-the-scenes access to the lives of young players aged nine to 17, including boys’, girls’ and club-run para teams.

Will Innes produces and directs, with Fenton, Graff and Mark Rubens exec producing.

The two commissions come after Zig Zag was declared insolvent in April last year as a result of the commissioning slowdown. The company closed its production arm and appointed an administrator, leading to six redundancies, while sister companies Zig Zag Holdings and Zig Zag Media Rights continued trading.

Fenton said: “These two commissions perfectly embody the bold storytelling and creative vision at the heart of Zig Zag. From addressing global challenges to celebrating human ambition and talent, this is just the beginning of our new era.”