ESPN Drops Trailer Announcing Release Date for Upcoming "30 for 30" Focused on Silvio Berlusconi
The new doc looks at his rise to prominence in Italy both on and off the field.
ESPN has announced when their next 30 for 30 will arrive, this time focusing on Silvio Berlusconi, one of the most significant figures in Italian football history.
What’s Happening:
- ESPN has revealed that Berlusconi: Condemned to Win, the latest installment in its 30 for 30 series, will premiere September 16th on the ESPN App for subscribers to an ESPN Unlimited plan and on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET.
- Directed by Sam Blair (Maradona ‘86, Make Us Dream, Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything), and produced by Box to Box Films, the three-part documentary tells the story of Silvio Berlusconi, one of the most significant figures in Italian history over the last three decades.
- Serving as Italy’s prime minister over three different stints, Berlusconi first rose to prominence as a business and media tycoon who owned one of the country’s most storied football clubs, A.C. Milan. As he turned the team into arguably the world’s most successful club, he used its victories to fuel his own popularity - ultimately propelling him to the highest political office in the land.
- Yet as the film reveals, Berlusconi’s ascent raised troubling questions about how sport can mask corruption and provide a pathway to power with consequences far beyond the game.
What They’re Saying:
- Sam Blair: “Silvio Berlusconi is one of the most complex figures of our time. His story is about more than football or politics - it’s about ambition, power, and the way sport can be used to reframe an entire nation’s identity. With this documentary, we wanted to explore not only how Berlusconi built AC Milan into a global powerhouse, but also how that success became a launchpad for his rise to the highest office in Italy. It’s a story about the seduction of winning, and the price a society pays when victory overshadows accountability."
- Marsha Cooke, Vice President & Executive Producer, 30 for 30: “Like so many of the best 30 for 30 films, Berlusconi’s story bridges the worlds of sports, politics, and culture in an unforgettable way. It shows us how the drive to win at all costs can impact every facet of society. The film challenges us to think about the true cost of power — and the role sport can play in enabling it."
Who Is Berlusconi?
- Silvio Berlusconi was an Italian media tycoon, billionaire, and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments across three non-consecutive terms.
- He had a huge impact on soccer, particularly in Italy, through his ownership of AC Milan, which he purchased in 1986, when the club was struggling both financially and competitively. It was under his ownership that Milan became a global powerhouse.
- Berlusconi's Milan was known for beautiful, attacking football and a highly professionalized management model that invested heavily in players, infrastructure, and marketing, turning Milan into a brand.
- He also hired iconic managers like Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, and Carlo Ancelotti, and built star-studded teams with legends like Marco van Basten, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, and Andriy Shevchenko.
- He sold AC Milan to a Chinese consortium in 2017, several years before his death in 2023 at age 86.
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