ESPN has shelved a Spike Lee-directed docuseries on Colin Kaepernick under the explanation of “creative differences.”
The news comes days after lucrative new partnerships were forged with the NFL, a frequent target of President Donald Trump’s ire for woke ideology and Kaepernick’s social justice and anti-policing crusade that began late in the 2016 presidential campaign and extended into Trump’s first administration.
Over the weekend, both ESPN and director Spike Lee confirmed the much-hyped multi-part film chronicling Kaepernick’s protest years will not see the light of day. The Oscar-winning director cited a nondisclosure agreement but bluntly admitted: “It’s not coming out. That’s all I can say.”
ESPN likewise issued a short statement claiming the project ended because of “creative differences.”
But ESPN’s broader business interests are in the background of this latest news.
The Walt Disney-owned network is deepening its ties with the NFL, recently striking a new carriage arrangement with NFL Network and NFL RedZone. With billions of dollars in rights fees at stake, analysts note that ESPN is unlikely to jeopardize its relationship with the league by airing a high-profile Kaepernick project that revisits one of the NFL’s most divisive chapters.
Also, this comes amid another Trump administration and its efforts to investigate and root out woke ideology and potentially well-funded social justice campaigns with an anti-Trump agenda.
Kaepernick has been out of football since 2016 after his kneeling protests against the national anthem — a move that alienated fans, angered sponsors, and sparked years of tension between the league and its customers.
Trump blasted the protests at the time, calling on the NFL to restore respect for the flag. Under Trump’s pressure, teams and sponsors alike distanced themselves from Kaepernick’s social justice and anti-policing movement.
Despite glowing coverage in Hollywood and activist circles, Kaepernick’s campaign never translated into broad public support. Television ratings plummeted during the height of the anthem protests, merchandise sales sagged, and surveys consistently showed fans opposing the mixing of sports and politics. By 2019, the quarterback had reached a quiet settlement with the NFL after alleging collusion to keep him off the field — an outcome that underscored his isolation rather than his influence.
Spike Lee’s docuseries, announced in 2022, was billed as the definitive retelling of Kaepernick’s “journey.” But insiders say the project dragged on with disagreements over tone and direction. And now, with ESPN doubling down on its NFL business, airing a Kaepernick feature would have risked reopening old wounds between the league, its fan base, and advertisers.
The shelving of the series also fits into a larger cultural pushback against corporate “wokeness” that Trump has championed. From targeting companies that injected politics into entertainment to pressing NATO allies abroad, Trump has argued that businesses and institutions must focus on core missions rather than progressive activism. For ESPN, that may mean prioritizing its NFL future over a documentary glorifying one of the league’s most polarizing figures.
The Kaepernick series is, at least for now, another casualty in the collision between sports, politics, and business — with ESPN choosing the NFL and its fans over a failed social justice icon.
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