FOX Sports Films Announces New Immersive Hip Hop Documentary Jackie Robinson: Get to the Bag Spotlighting the Remarkable Career of Jackie Robinson Beyond Baseball Premiering Wednesday, October 12 on FS1
Executive Produced by Two-Time World Series Champion and Six-Time All-Star Mookie Betts, Co-Produced by Propagate and MLB, and Directed by Victorious De Costa
Film, Narrated Through the Lyrical Storytelling of Brooklyn-Based Rapper Skyzoo
First-look Tease Unveiled Today (Click Here)
LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports Films announced today the new immersive hip-hop documentary JACKIE ROBINSON: GET TO THE BAG, spotlighting the remarkable career of Jackie Robinson beyond baseball. The film blends the lyrical narrative of Brooklyn-based rapper Skyzoo and the voices of multiple generations to celebrate Robinson’s extraordinary life and legacy, shedding new light on the Hall of Famer’s journey from the baseball diamond to prominence in corporate America. Set to premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 12 on FS1, following the network’s live Major League Baseball (MLB) Postseason coverage, the film is executive produced by two-time World Series champion and six-time All-Star Mookie Betts, co-produced by Propagate, MLB, and directed by Victorious De Costa (“Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn”).
“FOX Sports is honored to partner with Mookie, Victorious, and the producing team at Propagate to present Jackie Robinson’s inspiring story like we’ve never seen before through a creative hip-hop lens,” said Barry Nugent, Vice President, Development and Original Programming, FOX Sports. “The film is a musical celebration of Jackie’s life and legacy on and off the field and the powerful impact his story has on a new generation of fans.”
“Oftentimes we focus on the accolades of what players do on the field or courts, when the true essence of who we are, is our contribution to building and enriching our communities and those within it,” said Betts. “We’ve heard the stories of Mr. Jackie Robinson’s activism and contribution to baseball, but now I am honored to help tell the story of Jackie Robinson, the entrepreneur through this film.”
JACKIE ROBINSON: GET TO THE BAG features memorable, archival footage interwoven through a hip-hop narrative, along with conversational interviews with the newest generation of fans and future MLB luminaries, to capture the story of Robinson through the eyes of America’s youth. The film also features interviews with Betts, Candice Wiggins, Alex Rodriguez, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz as well as award-winning journalist Angelika Beener and acclaimed historian Peter Dreier, along with commentary from current MLB superstars. Through original lyrics and beats, Skyzoo brings the Jackie Robinson story to life in a unique presentation that aims to educate and inspire the next generation through Robinson’s legacy. Drawing on his own inspiration from Robinson, Skyzoo also introduces viewers to his childhood home in the Ebbets Field Apartments Complex, the former site of the iconic Brooklyn Dodgers’ Ebbets Field. The same grounds where Skyzoo began his foray into writing music is where Robinson first stepped up to the plate as the first African American player in the modern-era of MLB.
The film is not only a celebration of baseball, but an ode to Robinson’s impactful career and racial activism that transcended beyond the sport. Robinson was a pioneer in sports and also a trailblazer for black athletes to become business moguls with power and influence. A tale of courage and determination, the film tells the story of Robinson most people don’t know: his story beyond baseball. JACKIE ROBINSON: GET TO THE BAG will peel back the layers on Robinson’s own self-identity and personal growth through the many stages of his professional career, including his unexpected retirement from baseball and parting with the sport, to his entrance into the workforce where he established success as both an entrepreneur and an advocate for the civil rights movement. 75 years after Robinson first stepped out onto Ebbets Field, JACKIE ROBINSON: GET TO THE BAG will remind viewers that the Jackie Robinson story is also America’s story.
Betts himself is a vocal activist for the inclusion of Black Americans in baseball on and off the field. For example, during batting practice at the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, he donned a t-shirt emblazoned with the message, “We need more Black people at the stadium.” Betts later led a tribute to Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, in honor of her 100th birthday during the pregame ceremony of the Midsummer Classic.
“While JACKIE ROBINSON: GET TO THE BAG taps into the profound mark his athleticism left on baseball, I wanted to draw attention to Jackie’s financial success as a businessman following his sports career,” said De Costa. “The film’s title serves as a double entendre, signifying how Robinson not only got to the bag on the field, but also the money bag, celebrating his entrepreneurship and socioeconomic influence.”
JACKIE ROBINSON: GET TO THE BAG is produced by Betts’ media company, One Media/Marketing Group (OMG), along with Propagate (“Untold”, “Hillary”, “LFG”). The film’s executive producers are Betts, Cam Lewis, Jeff Mason and Omar Bradford of OMG and Ben Silverman, Howard Owens and Drew Buckley of Propagate. Jack Katkavich serves as co-executive producer. The documentary is an extension of the collaboration between Betts’ OMG and Propagate following their production deal announced earlier this year and is the first project to greenlight.
FOX Sports Films is dedicated to presenting captivating global sports documentaries through an unconventional and entertaining lens. Working with FOX Sports’ league and conference partners, the brand produces original programming, connecting live sports events to sports culture.
