60 Minutes Sports

60 Minutes Sports was an American sports investigative journalism television program by Showtime. Launched in 2013, this hour-long program was a sports-focused spin-off of the highly acclaimed CBS newsmagazine, 60 Minutes. The sterling lineup of 60 Minutes Sports hosts featured heavyweights of journalism like Sharyn Alfonsi, James Brown, Anderson Cooper, Armen Keteyian, Lara Logan, and Scott Pelley, each bringing to the table their unique style of reportage honed for the sports’ universe. Particularly noteworthy was the show's innovative melding of sports journalism and the hard-hitting, in-depth investigative storytelling that 60 Minutes is famous for.

Each episode of 60 Minutes Sports offered viewers an exclusive all-access pass to the intriguing, often offbeat, world of sports. Unlike traditional sports shows which generally focus on pre-game analysis, in-game action, and post-game dissection, 60 Minutes Sports specialized in multidimensional exploration of stories behind the scenes in the world of sports. It shed light on the off-the-field happenings, the untold stories, and the lesser-known personalities, offering viewers a broader perspective on sports beyond what happens in the arenas and stadia.

But what made 60 Minutes Sports standout is that it moves beyond just chronicling events or profiling sportspersons. The show's style was quite an extension of 60 Minutes’ tradition of combining interviews, case studies, behind-the-scenes footages, and investigative journalism. It delved deep into the issues plaguing the sports world, uncovered scandals, followed up on controversies, exposed cover-ups, all while still celebrating spectacular feats and personalities that make sport an enchanting spectacle.

Sharyn Alfonsi, known for her incisive journalism, brought her investigative instincts to 60 Minutes Sports, often unearthing stories that exhibited sport’s socio-economic and cultural impact. Equally celebrated for his immersive documentation style, Anderson Cooper lent his contextual reporting skills to the show. James Brown, no stranger to the sports entertainment world, served as a bridge between journalists and athletes, creating a balanced portrayal of the highs and lows of athletic life.

Armen Keteyian, a long-standing contributing correspondent for 60 Minutes Sports, brought his years of experience in sports journalism, creating a link between the sports world and investigative storytelling. Lara Logan, a foreign correspondent turned investigative journalist, applied her international perspective on issues that resonated far beyond the world of sports, giving the show a global appeal. Anchoring the crew was CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, whose probing style of interviewing often resulted in powerfully revealing conversations with the sporting world's influencers.

While 60 Minutes Sports had a wide-ranging subject matter, few topics eluded its investigative glance. Be it the influence of money in sport, exploitation issues, doping scandals, player safety, the administrative corruption at sports' highest levels - everything was open to scrutiny. But despite its skeptical lens, the show never forgot to put the human face of sport in focus, showcasing professional athletes' personal triumphs and human resilience.

In an era often flooded with sporting events' instant analysis and hot takes, 60 Minutes Sports offered a breather with expert investigative journalism, highlighting narratives, issues, and conflicts beneath the glamour of the sports world. It was not just a sports show for the sports enthusiast, but a novel amalgamation of sports entertainment and hard-hitting journalism that appealed to a wider audience who appreciated the world of sports within its societal context. The show ran until 2017, providing tennis insights into the world of sports, and setting a new standard for sports reportage on television. To this day, the charm of 60 Minutes Sports lies in its endeavor to investigate, educate, and entertain, bringing viewers much closer to the world of sports by offering them more than just a highlight reel.