ESPN Cancels New Show 1-Hour Before Its Debut

ESPN was set to air a new program this weekend. However, the Worldwide Leader in Sports allegedly cancelled it one hour before it was set to air.

A documentary slated to premiere on ESPN2 on Sunday evening was pulled right before showtime, according to the director, who cited a dispute over the film's rights.

Frank Marshall, who has worked on films like "The Goonies" and "Back to the Future," claims that his latest project, "Rachel, Breathe," was pulled by the network.

"I'm sad to report that RACHEL, BREATHE, will not premiere on ESPN2 today," Marshall wrote. "After several days of negotiations that should have been very simple and were not about money, but rights, the ESPN lawyers stopped talking to us an hour before broadcast and said, ‘sign it now or we are pulling the show.'"

"We remain genuinely excited for the day this documentary reaches the world, it is simply not tonight. And just like Rachel, we remain resilient and the moment I know where and when the premiere is, you will hear from me."

The documentary is about a marathon runner. The documentary follows Rachel Foster, who shockingly completed the Boston Marathon five months after she woke up from a coma "no one expected her to emerge from," according to the film's synopsis.

The Boston Marathon is set for Monday, April 20.

ESPN2 re-aired "26.2 To Life" in the place of the pulled documentary on Sunday evening.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports has not publicly commented on the decision to pull the documentary.

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 9:19 AM.