YouTube unveils Tokyo Olympics slate

Google-owned video-sharing platform YouTube has unveiled a slate of Olympic-themed programming ahead of this year’s Tokyo games.

Gabby Douglas (photo: Agência Brasil Fotografias via CC)

Launching on The Players’ Tribune YouTube channel next week is Strive, a six-part documentary series about the men and women forced to flee their countries as refugees while training for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete at Tokyo 2020.

Hosted by American gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas, Strive follows the journey of refugee athletes as they strive to compete either under the Olympic Refugee Flag or under a new flag after finally settling in a host country.

The series is produced by Perfect Storm Entertainment and Radley Studios.

From WZRD Media and Boardwalk Pictures comes World Debut, a feature-length doc that reveals what it takes to add new sports to the Olympic Games.

Skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing will join the games for the first time this summer, and World Debut will tell the story of how they got there, featuring professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, sport climbing champion Emily Harrington and Peruvian surfing champ Sofia Mulanovich.

Launching on the Olympics YouTube channel on July 7, the doc is directed by Cole Sax and Galen Knowles.

Joining the Olympics YouTube channel on July 14 is How to Olympics, an eight-episode series that tells viewers everything they need to know about select Olympic events through easily digestible and quick-witted videos.

Covering sport climbing, taekwondo, rhythmic gymnastics, hammer throwing, artistic swimming, breaking, badminton and fencing, viewers will learn how each event is scored, how to win and what it takes to master these athletic disciplines.

How to Olympics is hosted by The Try Guys and produced by Industrial Media’s The Intellectual Property Corporation.

The three shows join kids’ series Break the Record, which C21 revealed yesterday will launch on YouTube next month.