Man Utd in talks over 'multi-million dollar' Disney documentary
- United engaging in documentary talks with Disney
- Project at 'conceptual' phase but could focus on hugely successful Sir Alex Ferguson era
- Wrexham's hugely popular series has aired on same platform
Manchester United are understood to be in talks with Disney over the possibility of striking a "multi-million dollar" deal to create documentary about the club.
Sports documentaries have become a huge hit on streaming platforms in recent years, with both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video each hitting the category hard. Welcome to Wrexham has been a big success on Disney+, which also carries a variety of existing and original sports series and films.
The Athletic notes that the conversations between Disney and United for a project that is so far considered "conceptual" have focused on Sir Alex Ferguson's era of success. The idea is that there would be "substantial" interview time with the legendary manager himself, plus access to the club's archive footage, as well as ambassadors like Bryan Robson and Peter Schmeichel.
No deal is thought to have been reached, with United holding out for more than the "low seven figure" offer on the table, less than when Disney previously engaged in talks two years ago. Such a project would also need to be agreed to by Ferguson and the former players, while United would retain "editorial oversight", which has been standard for clubs granting access.
The Athletic adds there have no been talks between Disney and United about an up to date behind the scenes style series, a la Welcome to Wrexham or the many All or Nothing docuseries that have been made by Amazon. Manchester City documented their 2022/23 treble season for a film now streaming on Netflix, while Liverpool are currently filming Jurgen Klopp's final campaign.
Disney+ carries ESPN's extensive documentary catalogue, including many from the wide-ranging 30 for 30 series that began in 2009, while Matildas: The World at Our Feet and Save Our Squad with David Beckham are original football-based productions released within the last couple of years.
Amazon Prime Video is premiering 99 on 17 May, an original series focusing on United's treble season 25 years on, as told by Sir Alex Ferguson and former players - including David Beckham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Peter Schmeichel and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But it has not been produced in conjunction with the club and United will not directly profit from it.
Another documentary about the club, The United Way, was released by Sky in 2021. Meanwhile, United additionally have a string of their own in-house produced documentaries on MUTV.
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