Facebook Spends “Millions” To Partner With Bleacher Report For Marshawn Lynch Series

Powerful NFL running back Marshawn Lynch has returned to the field as one of the stars of the Oakland Raiders, but even after ending his year-long hiatus from football, his off-the-field exploits continue to draw attention. Lynch will star in No Script, a reality series that will be produced by Bleacher Report and distributed via Facebook.

No Script will follow Lynch as he partakes in a number of leisure activities. In the first episode, the man known as “Beast Mode” will take race car driving lessons and ruin the tires of his vehicle.

According to Reuters, Facebook paid Turner-owned Bleacher Report “millions” for the right to host No Script in an exclusive window. Neither the exact cost of the deal nor the length of the window were revealed, though this sort of spending is in line with budgets Facebook has vowed to offer as it looks to popular its brand new Watch tab. Previously, a Wall Street Journal report indicated that Facebook could shell out as much as $3 million per episode for its highest-profile projects.

The social giant is particularly bullish on No Script because of Lynch’s outsized personality. The running back has previously made headlines for many reasons, including his voracious consumption of Skittles, his love of Applebee’s, his reluctance to talk to the media, his efforts in his community, and, on the field, his forceful, tackle-breaking carries. He often displays his character on his official Facebook page, which has more than 1.2 million followers.

“We think we have a big hit on our hands,” Bleacher Report president Rory Brown told Reuters. “People are going to spend more time on Facebook because of it.”

The first season of No Script, which will premiere in September, will consist of eight episodes that will each run for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the show’s exclusive Facebook window is up, Bleacher Report will retain its distribution rights.