A+E Networks said Domino’s will be the marquee sponsor of The History Channel’s original documentary about Jesse Owens that will appear Wednesday on Juneteenth.

The documentary, Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics, is executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted and Cinemation Studios in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment.

The sponsorship was arranged through GroupM Motion Entertainment's Diverse Voices Accelerator.

Actor Don Cheadle narrates the doc, which tells the story of Jesse Owens’s legendary triumph at the 1936 Olympics, which were hosted by Adoph Hitler’s Germany.

Before the Olympics, Owens broke four world records within 45 minutes at a Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Domino’s is based.

“The History Channel is proud to amplify the remarkable story of Jesse Owens with the powerful upcoming documentary and this incredible partnership with Domino’s and GroupM Motion Entertainment,” Peter Olsen, president of ad sales for A+E Networks, said. “Celebrating diverse stories and voices in front of and behind the camera remains a priority across all our platforms and this sponsorship reflects that.”

This project is the second between A+E Networks and GroupM Motion Entertainment as part of the DVA, with Domino’s support. Last year, they teamed up on 761st Tank Battalion: the Original Black Panthers. 

“The commitment to diversity and uplifting underrepresented voices is a priority for GroupM and our clients,” Chet Fenster, chief content officer for GroupM Motion Entertainment, said. “We are proud to continue to work with brands to find solutions that support equity in entertainment.” 

The Africa Channel will roll out several new shows in celebration of Juneteenth and Black Music Month, including a documentary special on the emerging Afrobeats music genre.

Afrobeats: Nigeria to the World debuts June 22 and examines the Africa-originated music genre's origins, what defines the beat, and how it has evolved from Africa to America, according to network officials. 

Also airing on the 22nd is a concert music special, Music for Wildlife, which introduces audiences to  both established new African musicians while raising awareness for wildlife around  the world featuring some of the world’s leading stars and activists supporting the movement, including Lupita Nyong’o, Davido and Jackie Chan. 

On June 23, Africa Channel will debut Muziki Ni, a concert series featuring prominent and emerging artists of all genres from Africa and the Diaspora as they share the inspiration behind their music and unique music videos, said the network. 

During the June 19 Juneteenth holiday, the network will re-air several documentary films chronicling the lives of iconic legends, including Serena Williams, Simone Biles and Tina Turner, said Africa Channel.

Also: The Five Spot: Narendra Reddy, COO, The Africa Channel (Q&A)

Bounce Tv and theGrio will commemorate the Juneteenth holiday with documentary and special programming airing over the holiday weekend.

Bounce TV on June 19 will premiere Xernona Clayton: A life in Black and White,
a documentary celebrating the life of one of the most unheralded civil rights icons and African American pioneers of our time, according to the network. 

From Clayton's years working as an aide and close friend to Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King through her pioneering broadcasting career – including the creation of the Trumpet Awards – the documentary provides a march through Clayton’s nearly century-long life, said Bounce. 

Also on the 19th, the Allen Media Group-owned service theGrio will air the 4th Annual Freedom Forward: Juneteenth Special, which will feature appearances by Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts and comedian Roy Wood Jr., as well as a performance from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. The one-hour special will be hosted by theGrio Daily host Natasha Alford from New York City and theGrio columnist and podcast host Panama Jackson from Washington D.C., said the service.

The two specials join CNN's June 19 Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom primetime concert special featuring such performers as Miguel, Kirk Franklin, SWV, Davido, Coi Leray and Jodeci.

The lineup of live TV sports events set for the Father’s Day and Juneteenth holiday weekend starts on the ice with ABC's coverage Saturday of Game two of the NHL Stanley Cup finals between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avalanche on Wednesday took the opening contest with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory.

Game three of the Stanley Cup Final will air Monday night on ABC. 

The USFL wraps up its inaugural regular season with Saturday telecasts on USA (Philadelphia Stars-New Jersey Generals) and Fox (Birmingham Stallions-Tampa Bay Bandits) and Sunday games on USA (Michigan Panthers-Pittsburgh Maulers) and FS1 (New Orleans Breakers-Houston Gamblers). 

NBC, USA Network and streaming service Peacock will offer weekend coverage of the 2022 US Open PGA golf tournament, while the Golf Channel will feature coverage of the LPGA Meijer Classic tournament.

CBS on Saturday launches its coverage of the Big3 basketball league. The fifth season of the Ice Cube-founded league featuring former NBA stars tips off in Chicago. On Sunday, CBS will air coverage of the WNBA game between the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics, while ESPN will air the Seattle Storm-New York Liberty contest and CBS Sports Network will televise the Minnesota Lynx-Las Vegas Aces game.

ESPN steps into the boxing ring Saturday night with a telecast of the Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. light heavyweight championship unification fight. The sports network will also air a Saturday afternoon UFC main event bout between featherweights Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett. 

On the baseball diamond, Peacock’s Sunday afternoon game will feature the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals, while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will pit the Chicago White Sox against the Houston Astros.■  

Byron Allen’s HBCU Go, the media provider for America’s Historically Black College and Universities, said it will commemorate Juneteenth by debuting two documentaries over the holiday weekend.

The first is Portraits ‘N Color: Re-Powered, which weaves together three short films about women who tackled the issues of unjust policing and the consequences of violence and found solutions to transform their communities. Re-Powered was produced by Kristin Adiar, CEO of Unchained Stories and includes interviews with Public Welfare Foundation grantee Lashonia Tate, Adair and Candice C. Jones, president and CEO of the PWF.

HBCU Go will also show History Half Told is Untold, which relates the story of the historic First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, established in 1776. The church was organized by a group of free and enslaved Blacks despite laws that forbade Blacks from gathering. The church has witnessed slavery, the Civil Rights Movement–Martin Luther King Jr. spoke there– and the modern era. In 2016, the church’s Freedom Bell was brought to Washington, D.C., and run by President Obama and Ruth Odom to market the opening of the National Museum of African-American History & Culture.

“Juneteenth is an incredibly important historical mark in American history that should be more fully realized, explored and excavated,” said Curtis Symonds, president of HBCU Go. “We are proud to present these two distinct documentary specials exploring the roots of the Black church and untrumpeted women trailblazers fighting on the front lines for transformative justice.”

The HBCU Go Juneteenth programs commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black people in the U.S. are available on HBCUGo.TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. Viewers can also access the programs by downloading the HBCU Go App.  ■

Story Television commemorates Juneteenth on Sunday, June 19 with “Story Television Presents: Elevating Black Voices,” a day-long programming event highlighted by select Biography episodes profiling extraordinary figures in the Black community. Story will also present a series of original, short-form interstitials focused on the history and impact of the holiday. 

Story Television, part of Weigel Broadcasting and focused on historical and nonfiction programming, launched in March.  

Starting at 11 a.m. ET June 19, there will be Biography specials on Frederick Douglas, Thurgood Marshall, President Barack Obama, Jackie Robinson, Dave Chappelle, Wally Amos and Tiger Woods, and the Biography episode King: Man of Peace in a Time of War, featuring Obba Babatunde and Laurence Fishburne. 

Weigel also owns broadcast networks MeTV, Decades, Heroes & Icons and Movies! ■

The CW will air The Black Pack: Excellence, a special celebrating “Black excellence,” the network said, and commemorating Juneteenth, Sunday, June 19. The CW will also run a spoken-word special called Brandon Leake: A Family Affair that night. Poet Leake won America’s Got Talent in 2020. 

Taye Diggs, Ne-Yo and Eric Bellinger are lined up to be in The Black Pack, along with Tank and Jordin Sparks. 

The Black Pack is produced by Magic Lemonade and executive produced by Taye Diggs, Shannon Stoeke and Rikki Hughes, who is the showrunner.

Brandon Leake: A Family Affair will feature eight original poems written and performed by Leake. “As the story unfolds, viewers will meet the people who inspired Brandon’s poetry: his mom, his uncle, his grandmother, his little brother, his wife, Anna, and his two young children, among others,” said The CW. 

The performance is filmed at the Haggin Museum in Stockton, California, which is Leake’s hometown. 

Produced by Rotten Science and 3 Arts Entertainment, Brandon Leake: A Family Affair is executive produced by Matthew Vaughan, Brandon Leake and Mark Schulman. The special is directed by Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce. ■

Bounce has set an April 23 date for its annual Trumpet Awards ceremony, and will air the festivities on June 19.

The Awards show, which celebrates African-American excellence, was rescheduled to April from January because of COVID-19 concerns, said network officials. Bounce will air a taped version of the event on Juneteenth. 

“It’s fitting that that we will honor Black excellence and achievement on a day that is a commemoration of such a significant moment in our history as African Americans,” said Bounce head Cheryle Harrison in a statement. “We appreciate everyone’s patience in our having to adjust this year’s schedule. Health and safety are a priority for our guests, honorees and staff.”

The 2022 Trumpet Awards will honor actor Courtney B. Vance, producer Stan Lathan, Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Zaila Avant-garde, politicians Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and philanthropist Princess Sarah Culberson. ■ 

OWN is observing Juneteenth with a series of profiles highlighting Black artists called “OWN Your Shine: Juneteenth Artist Showcase.” The campaign began June 14 with a five-minute short introducing several of the artists, and continues for a week, as 60-second pieces spotlight a range of artists. 

President Biden signed legislation June 17 that makes Juneteenth a federal holiday. June 19 is the day for commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

OWN calls the event “a short-form profile series highlighting celebrated Black artists who powerfully reflect Black joy and the diversity and beauty of the Black experience. ‘OWN Your Shine: Juneteenth Artist Showcase’ aims to empower and uplift the OWN audience on this historic day with these stories of inspired, boundary-pushing Black creators.” 

The profiles have been running throughout the week, and run all day June 19 on OWN and its social platforms. 

The Oprah Winfrey Network aired special Honoring Our Kings June 15 as part of “OWN Your Shine.” Original series Ready to Love and Black Love air June 18. 

Artists featured in “OWN Your Shine” include mixed media artist Tiffany Alfonseca, quilting artist Bisa Butler and textile artist Gio Swaby. Jac Benson II produced Own Your Shine. 

In recognition of Juneteenth, the FCC is extending any filing deadline that falls on Friday, June 18.

That notice was issued after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday (June 17) that made Juneteenth National Independence Day a federal holiday.

Since the June 19 date falls on a Saturday, it is being observed Friday and the FCC rules state that if a filing deadline falls on a holiday the due date moves to the next business day.

Also Read: Cable Networks, Streaming Services Celebrate Juneteenth

So, all Friday filing deadlines will now be Monday, June 21. In addition, June 18 will not count toward computing filing deadlines of fewer than seven days.

In his closing statement at the FCC's Thursday public meeting, before the legislation creating the holiday was signed into law, Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, who is African American, talked about the importance of the new holiday:

"As many of you historians out there know," he said, " on June 19, 1985, General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, the end of slavery, in accordance with President Abraham Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. What many of us know and celebrate as Juneteenth...The holiday will long serve as an important event in U.S. history and further encourage all of us to reflect on the long fight for equity and justice..." He added that he had heard the holiday would be celebrated June 18 and that most federal employees would get the day off.

"There is truth in everything you said," added acting chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

"[W]e must understand that Juneteenth represents not only the commemoration of the end of slavery in America more than 150 years ago," the President said at the bill signing ceremony, "but the ongoing work to have to bring true equity and racial justice into American society, which we can do."

Cable networks and streaming services are gearing up this weekend to celebrate Father’s Day as well as Juneteenth -- the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States -- with original programming specials and events. 

In celebration of Father’s Day (June 20) , OWN on June 19 will feature a special, Honoring Our Kings: A Black Dad Conversation, hosted by Sterling K. Brown who discusses the joys and challenges of Black fatherhood with such celebrities as John Legend, D.L. Hughley, Tony Gonzalez and Deon Cole. The special follows a June 15 OWN original show, Honor Our Kings: Celebrating Black Fatherhood, that is currently streaming on Discovery Plus. 

Netflix on June 18 will premiere a Father’s Day-themed original movie Fatherhood, starring Kevin Hart as a widower taking on one of the toughest jobs in the world, according to the streaming service.

In honor of the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy on June 19, 1865, the industry’s Juneteenth focus begins tonight (June 17) with Peacock’s Civil War (or Who Do We Think We Are), a documentary exploring how Americans tell the story of their Civil War through interviews and scenes filmed North and South from President Obama’s final year in office through the present, according to the streaming service. 

On Saturday, History will premiere the documentary Fight The Power: The Movements That Changed America. Hosted by NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the documentary will look at the impact key movements throughout US History have had in shaping our society, laws, and culture.

Read Also: Q&A: NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Champions U.S. Social Justice Movements in History Doc

Also on Saturday, Revolt, in partnership with Vice Media Group, will premiere a special episode of Revolt Black News that will feature influential conversations and musical performances set to explore political topics relevant to the Black youth and leaders of today to encourage young changemakers to exercise their political rights and benefit future generations. 

In addition, The Smithsonian Channel will air throughout the day original video essays from prominent and emerging writers, artists, activists, community leaders and teachers reflecting on Juneteenth and how this consequential moment in American history deeply resonates today.

Haystack News, the ad supported streaming new service, is planning to create a series of timely hyper-relevant channels marking events in June.

The first channel, available June 1-4, will focus on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.

Also Read: History Channel, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Team on 'Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America' Documentary

The next channel will mark Pride Month from June 7 to June 30.

Juneteenth, marking the end of slavery in the U.S., will be commemorated from June 15 to June 21.

Haystack News will also have a channel following the sentencing of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd. The channel will run from June 23 to June 26.

“Dedicated Haystack News streaming channels are a popular way our users consume news and get multiple perspectives on the Haystack platform,” said Daniel Barreto, co-founder and CEO of Haystack TV. “Our curated channels on trending topics surface high-quality journalism to more of our viewers and allow them a deep-dive experience bringing together news from hundreds of partners.”

History has teamed with NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to create a new documentary that looks at important social and political movements in America.

The documentary, Fight The Power: The Movements That Changed America. Debuts June 19 and will focus on the impact key movements -- from the 1880’s Labor Movement to women’s suffrage and civil rights -- have had in shaping our society, according to History. Abdul-Jabbar will serve as narrator and executive producer of the one-hour documentary. 

Read Also: Programming Review: History's 'Tulsa Massacre' Spotlights a Forgotten Tragedy 

"One of this country’s greatest strengths is its willingness to listen to the voices of its people—whether at the ballot box or in the streets—and make changes to bring about a more equitable society," said Abdul-Jabbar in a statement.

Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America is also executive produced by Deborah Morales Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat, Jessica Conway, Kai Bowe, Stephen Mintz, Eli Lehrer and Jennifer Wagman.

Several cable networks are commemorating Juneteenth today (June 19) by offering movies, documentaries and specials in celebration of the holiday that marks the end of slavery in America.

Original programming recognizing the holiday includes National Geographic’s simulcast of ABC Network’s Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming special, which examines the legacy of the holiday through the current lens of political and social unrest that has captured global attention, according to ABC News.

AMC tonight will premiere it’s Sherman’s Showcase:  Spectacular variety special, which will honor historic African-American icons both past and present, according to the network.

This Sunday (June 21), TV One will debut its original documentary series The Beat Don't Stop, which highlights the history and legacy of Washington DC.-based Go-go music.  

Other cable networks offering content to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday include:

--HBO will provide all nine episodes of its drama series Watchmen for free tonight and through the weekend on HBO.com and on demand. The series, which stars Regina King, is set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws.

--FX Networks will air a collection of African-American based films and series including Hidden Figures and Selma, as well as marathons of comedy series black-ish and Atlanta.

--Smithsonian Channel will offer a day-long lineup of award-winning Black History documentaries, airing chronologically from pre-Civil war through Obama’s presidency, including Civil War 360: Fight For Freedom; The Green Book: Guide For Freedom; Major League Legends: Hank Aaron; The Lost Tapes Malcolm X, MLK: The Assassination Tapes; and The Obama Years: The Power of Words.

--TNT, TBS and truTV will air feature films Black Panther and Just Mercy in primetime with limited commercials. Turner will also feature reflections from distinguished guests including actor Anthony Anderson, Senator Kamala Harris and comedian W. Kamau Bell who will talk about the personal impact these films had on their lives and the culture, according to the company.

--Ovation will air a 24-hour block of films, documentaries and specials that shine a light on the significant contributions of Black artists and activists who have advanced progress for all. Content featured include such documentaries as Beyonce: Queen B; Inside the Actors Studio Alfre Woodard and Prince: Kiss The Rain. 

National Geographic on Friday will simulcast an ABC News’ special commemorating the holiday celebrating the end of slavery in America, said network officials.

Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming will examine the legacy of the holiday through the current lens of political and social unrest that has captured global attention, according to ABC News. 

The special will be led by such personalities as ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis, Nightline co-anchor Byron Pitts, correspondents Deborah Roberts, TJ Holmes, Steve Osunsami and Janai Norman, and The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg.