Every season starts at DICK’s. Now, some movies will too.
The athletics equipment company announced Thursday that they will be launching a new studio for in-house content and production. Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios will allow DICK’s to continue the production of feature-length and short-form projects, as they have done since 2014 with the release of the documentary “We Could Be King.”
“DICK’S believes that sports have the power to change lives,” Mark Rooks, VP of Creative, Entertainment & Sponsorships at DICK’S Sporting Goods, said in a statement. “And we’ve seen through our work how true that is for so many who have excelled, triumphed against the odds and been defeated in sport. There are so many incredible and inspiring human stories that deserve to be told, and we could not be more excited to showcase how individuals, teams and communities are shaping sport, bringing people together and unifying and building communities for thousands.”
Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios derives its name from the origins of the DICK’s brand itself. Dick Stack, founder of the sporting goods chain, started with a $300 loan from his grandmother in the 1940s when he was only 18. This loan came from Stack’s grandmother’s savings, stored safely in her cookie jar.
DICK’s productions have already won two sports Emmys in the past. The first came in 2015, when “We Could Be King” won Outstanding Sports Documentary. The second was only just this May, when “The Turnaround,” which released on Netflix, won Outstanding Short Documentary. Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios produced “The Turnaround,” partnered with the Obamas’ Higher Ground, for a 2024 release, though Thursday marked the official launch of the new DICK’s brand.
Altogether, DICK’s has produced five features and 10 short-form or episodic documentaries in the last decade. Next up, Cookie Jar & A Dream has “Big Dreams: The Little League World Series 2024,” a new documentary that will premiere Aug. 12 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The doc follows a Little League tournament in rural Pennsylvania with a nearly 80-year history.
“‘Big Dreams’ is a great example of the kind of projects Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios aims to produce,” Rebecca Covington, Sr. Director, Creative Production at DICK’S Sporting Goods, added in a statement. “Being able to share big sports moments with fans is something that drives our team, and we look at the upcoming years with great excitement as we know there will be so many unforgettable stories deserving of the spotlight.”
