Productions

With talent and access at our heart, we tell amazing stories across premium sport and unscripted.

THE FOOTBALLER, HIS WIFE AND THE CRASH

CMG Productions secured exclusive access to the story of Emma Samuel, the widow of ex-Premier League ace Jlloyd Samuel. The film details how Jlloyd’s footballing dream, which started on the streets of Bow in East London, became a nightmare—told from the perspective of his wife. She describes the events following Jlloyd’s 2018 death and the discovery that not only had her husband mismanaged his Premier League fortune but also that he had a secret second life. The Footballer, His Wife and the Crash was awarded Best Documentary at the 2023 Broadcast Digital Awards. The film topped the Netflix UK chart when it was released on the streamer in 2024

BRAZIL 2002: THE REAL STORY

A tale of the team who were victorious at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, told from the dressing room and against the spectre of Brazil’s infamous loss in the 1998 World Cup Final in Paris.

The film uses six hours of unseen archive material shot by Brazilian football legend Juliano Belletti during the tournament, forming the story’s backbone. Interviews from the winning team, both on and off the pitch, and other giants of the game give a unique insight into one of history’s greatest-ever football teams.

AIR WARRIORS

CMG Productions has taken over production of Air Warriors for The Smithsonian Channel. The series takes the audience behind the scenes to reveal emotive and untold stories of the UK and US military’s most iconic aircraft. CMG brought a human dimension to series 10, attracting a younger and more diverse audience while maintaining the series’ loyal viewership.

RYDER CUP 2023

CMG Productions were appointed by Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA of America to develop and deliver all of the ‘Ceremonies’ content for the 2023 Ryder Cup, which included the Welcome To Rome show from the Opening Ceremony and the Trophy Presentation.

Our brief was to respect the tradition of the competition, yet be innovative and challenge what had been done before – all of which we achieved – and more – in a ‘game changing’ series of shows that formed the backbone to the most memorable Ryder Cup for a generation.

ICONS SERIES

CMG Productions developed and produced the live coverage and highlights of the inaugural Icons Series, a world-first sport and entertainment concept broadcast in 40 global territories. Harry Kane, Ash Barty and James Milner participated as the USA took on the Rest of the World in a Ryder Cup-style team match-play golf competition.

LEGENDS TOUR

CMG Productions successfully modernised and refreshed coverage of The Legends Tour with innovative features and items, more in-depth analysis and features on the incredible destinations that the Tour visits.

THE FOOTBALLER FRAUDSTER

This 90 minute feature documentary for ITV reveals the the story of Medi Abalimba, a former footballer who took on the identities of a Premier League star, MI6 agent and US Navy Seal. His sophisticated web of lies conned multiple victims – breaking hearts, stealing millions, and destroying lives. With access to those scammed, we tell the story from the victims’ perspective, revealing the lengths Abalimba went to in his elaborate cons. Nominated for a 2024 True Crime Award. Nominated for a 2024 True Crime Award, The Footballer Fraudster reached number 5 in the Netflix UK Chart when released on the streamer in 2024.

DEATH IN THE HEARTLANDS

In 2021, the world of athletics was shocked to its core when three female athletes were murdered in Kenya, two in the renowned elite running community of Iten.

One of those was Olympian and two-time World Athletic Championship medalist Agnes Tirop, found stabbed to death in her home soon after clinching a World Record in Germany. The day before Agnes’s murder, a 27-year-old athlete Edith Muthoni was found dead in her home, and six months later a nationwide manhunt began after athlete Damaris Mutua was also found dead.  All had been killed by the men closest to them – their partners and coaches. Shortlisted for a Broadcast Sport Award for Best Documentary in 2024, this is the story of all three women, and the proliferation of control and violence that goes hand in hand with the coaching of female athletes in Kenya and beyond…

The Durban Axe Murderer: The Rugby Killer

To his friends, family and former professional rugby teammates he was a quiet ’teddy bear’, but little did they know that Joseph Ntshongwana was a serial killer who stalked the streets of Durban in his car searching for victims. After killing four men with an axe, and attempting to kill two others, a crack police team was put together under Lt Col. Jason McGray, to solve the cases leading to the shocking arrest of former Blue Bulls rugby player Ntshongwana.  In this feature documentary, McGray’s team detail how the caught the killer as well as the contentious trial, in which the killer’s diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder was centre stage.

The Marathon Brothers

When an unknown athlete defies the odds to finish in the top ten in the grueling Comradres Marathon, the initial celebrations turn to suspicion, as the race becomes the centre of one of the most audacious cheating scandals in sporting history. The 90km Comrades Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban is one of the most grueling and infamous in the international endurance running calendar.  In 1999 Fika Motsoeneng, then 21, came 9th in what was a phenomenal performance.  The victory was, however, one of the most audacious examples of cheating in sport.  Halfway through the marathon, Fika swapped with his brother Sergio who appeared fresh for the second half of the race.

For those athletes who missed out on medals that day, and exposed the deceit, it is a sporting scandal that continues to anger.  But what of the brothers who were at the eye of the storm?

The Baby Footballers

This is the journey of four boys and their coach who traveled from the Ivory Coast to Italy on the promise of footballing glory.  Engineered by rogue agents, and the then-owner of Italian club FC Prato – the dream became a nightmare.  With parents fooled into signing over guardianship, this is one of the rare occasions where a prosecution has made it to trial in Europe.  With our secured access to the police and prosecutors,  and court footage we unpack their story in this feature length documentary.  From the hope of footballing glory, to broken dreams.

The Fake Team & The Fixer

Fake matches, bribed referees, criminal betting syndicates, and a web of deceit and lies with one notorious match fixer sitting in its centre. This is the story of how one of the biggest scandals in football unfolded. September 2010 – Togo’s national soccer team travel 3,500 miles to play in an exhibition game against Bahrain.  When the clear underdogs Bahrain lost 3-0, their Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger raised his suspicions. The Togolese authorities confirmed they knew nothing of the match. It emerged that the match had been set up by Raj Perumal – the world’s most prolific match fixer.  After his eventual arrest, Perumal made a series of shocking claims that he was responsibly for rigging hundreds of international games to make money from illegal betting schemes. A worldwide scandal unfolded…