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Is There Life After ‘30 For 30’?

Connor Schell, the former Bristol content wunderkind and co-creator of ‘30 for 30,’ has heeded the higher calling of private equity–financed production company glory. With Words + Pictures, which he founded with Chernin Entertainment, he masterminded a new age of sports docs—‘Celtics City,’ ‘Court of Gold,’ ‘Full Court Press,’ etcetera—and figured out a new model in the process.

Connor Schell
Connor discussed how the industry has transformed during the past decade, walking the tightrope between creative freedom and league partnership, and deciding which story goes to which platform. Photo: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
John Ourand
May 5, 2025

Despite the instability that has haunted the sports media industry over the past few years, we’re still very much in the golden age of sports storytelling. And if you ask Connor Schell—ESPN’s former content chief and co-creator of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series—it’s here to stay. He made a persuasive case on a recent episode of The Varsity, where he broke down the sports docu-boom.