Santa Monica, CA – July 22, 2020 –Just in time for the planned return of a historic abbreviated baseball season, The Ed Sullivan Show official YouTube channel hits it out of the park with the official worldwide streaming premieres of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays (both of whom offer batting tip to Sullivan and his viewers), and Mickey Mantle (who makes a major career announcement). These full segments join the streaming universe to live on forever more than fifty years after they first aired, as part of UMe’s recent agreement with SOFA Entertainment Inc. for the global digital rights to The Ed Sullivan Show.
In his twenty-one seasons with the Giants baseball franchise, Willie Mays played both in New York and San Francisco. A living legend and an American icon, he is widely known and regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, with his unique and gifted combination of power hitting, base running, throwing and fielding. In this 1966 segment, Sullivan and his viewers learn how Mays bats. “Ed Sullivan was a real gentleman,” Mays recalled. “And, a real baseball fan. That’s why he had me on his TV show so many times! I learned later that he had been a sportswriter. You’d never have guessed that!! Anyway, Ed was really good to me. A nice man.”
Jackie Robinson pioneered the integration of professional sports in 1947 when he became the first African American to play in the major leagues in the 20th century; he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers his entire career. In this 1962 clip, the same year that he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Robinson gives Sullivan insider tips on how to handle the bat.
Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire career which included five World Series titles. In his 1969 appearance on the Sullivan show, the home-run champion and MVP announces his retirement.
In addition to sports, the voluminous gems in this vast catalog include iconic clips that have primarily only been available in excerpted versions on EdSullivan.com or as low-resolution digital “bootlegs.” Scores of rarities will also be available digitally for the first time and fans can visit The Ed Sullivan Show’s official YouTube channel and for more information.
Live on The Ed Sullivan Show YOUTUBE channel schedule, July 24-26
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STREAM LAUNCH
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SPORTS GREAT
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DESCRIPTION
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AIRDATE
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THU 7/23
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Jackie Robinson
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Batting Tips
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May 20, 1962
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FRI 7/24
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Mickey Mantle
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Retirement
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March 9, 1969
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SUN 7/26
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Willie Mays
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Batting Tips
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May 15, 1966
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About The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is the most popular primetime variety show in American history. For nearly a quarter century, Ed Sullivan hosted the greatest array of talent on television, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and Motown artists such as The Supremes, The Temptations and The Jackson 5. Every Sunday night at 8pm on CBS from 1948-1971, The Ed Sullivan Show showcased a wide variety of pop culture from the worlds of music, comedy, novelty and much more.
