SXSW festival to add sports programming

Bill Simmons, the editor in chief of Grantland.com, speaking at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Simmons is among the speakers in a sports-related programming package that will be added to next year's SXSW festival.

By John Horn

Oct. 1, 2013 12 AM PT

The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival will add a sports-oriented component to next year’s gathering in Texas, calling the new venture SXsports.

As part of the SXsports programming, FiveThirtyEight blogger Nate Silver, who left The New York Times for ESPN in July, will be among the speakers at the festival, set to run March 7-9 in Austin. Other invited speakers include Bill Simmons, the editor in chief of Grantland.com.

Festival organizers said the sports programming will include film screenings, panels and speeches. SXSW is currently accepting submissions for sports-related films.

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“The world of sports truly hits the sweet spot of SXSW, the vital intersection of entertainment and technology, and we intend to approach it with the same forward-thinking and culturally relevant perspective we shine on all of our events,” programmer Rebecca Feferman, head of the festival’s film media relations, said in a statement.

“We can’t wait to connect the sports world with our passionate audience of early adopters, culture nuts, digital creatives, and so much more.”

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