Walt Disney–owned ESPN said it will not release the multi-part documentary series on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick that was being directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee. In a statement issued 16 Aug 2025, the network said it had “collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,” a position echoed by Lee on the red carpet of a Los Angeles charity event. Representatives for Kaepernick declined to comment. The series, announced in 2022, had been promoted by ESPN Films as a “full, first-person account” of Kaepernick’s life and activism, featuring extensive interviews with the player. Industry publication Puck previously reported delays stemming from disagreements between the director and the athlete over the film’s direction, and noted that ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was open to allowing the producers to seek another distributor. Kaepernick, who last played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, drew national attention that season by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem to protest racial injustice.