SC Featured: Pete’s Legacy
The 7th Annual Awards
- Best Documentary: Long-Form
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
We can all agree that the world is a divided place...But ten years ago this month, people put aside their differences and came together in a way that perhaps hasn’t happened since. A viral online movement ...started by one man... helped find a way to unite us all...through water...and ice…and a cause. The Ice Bucket Challenge, the pouring of ice water over your head and nominating others to do the same, became a cultural phenomenon in the summer of 2014, all in the name of raising money for ALS research. SportsCenter looks back on how it came to be, what it all meant, why it went viral and the legacy it has left.
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
Pete’s Challenge was a tremendous success in its ambition to both reminisce over a landmark viral social media event as well as educate as to the long-lasting effects of the Ice Bucket Challenge and the man most responsible for it’s popularity. It’s a perfect example of the power of social media when one simple act can mobilize a movement. The Ice Bucket Challenge saw over 17 million videos shared on Facebook and over 440 million people saw those videos. It reached almost every country in the world and will always be celebrated as one of the biggest online movements ever seen raising close to a quarter of a million dollars since its inception.
Objective
This feature was produced with the intention to celebrate one of the biggest viral events in the history of social media. Despite the fact that only 10 years had passed since the summer of the Ice Bucket Challenge we wanted to celebrate the man most responsible for its popularity, Pete Frates, and the enduring legacy his campaign fostered.
Strategy & Execution
Our story was meant to be a look back at the power of social media and as a reminder of who Pete Frates was and why the Ice Bucket Challenge became such a viral movement in 2014. To do that we interviewed Pete’s entire family to gain their perspective on those events and to educate the viewers as to what happened to Pete after all the cameras and attention faded away. Our story was meant to both stir up nostalgia to a memorable event as well as educate the full effects of the Ice Bucket Challenge all these years later.
Organizations
- ESPN
- SportsCenter
Links
Credits
Craig T. Lazarus
Executive Producer
ESPN
Jose Morales
Executive Producer
ESPN
Ben Webber
Executive Producer
ESPN
Dan Arruda
Producer
ESPN
Chris Connelly
Reporter
ESPN
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Join us for the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 24, 2025 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
