Sky1 Commissions Football Series from Endemol U.K.

LONDON: The Endemol U.K.-owned Initial has received a commission from Sky1 for a new series that offers young football players, aged 16 to 18, the chance to compete for a contract with Inter Milan.

The 8×1-hour Football’s Next Star is slated to premiere on Sky1 late this year. In it, the young players will be mentored by renowned premiership footballer Jamie Redknapp, and will live in a luxury Milan villa, as they vie for the Inter Milan contract.

Up to 7,000 players will try out in four major cities across the U.K. and Ireland this summer. Inter Milan academy coaches and head scouts will oversee the roadshow trials before selecting a group of finalists that will spend five weeks training at the club’s grounds. The ultimate decision on who wins the final contract will be made by Inter Milan’s head coach, Jose Mourinho.

“Sky1 is always on the look out for exciting and entertaining new shows and Football’s Next Star is just that," said James Townley, commissioning editor for factual at Sky1, Sky2 and Sky3. "It’s the X-Factor of football. I just wish I was young enough to enter."

Lawrence Duffy, the managing director of Endemol Sport, which brokered the deal, added: "We’re delighted to be making this ambitious series with Inter Milan for Sky1. This is an authentic search and a genuine chance in a lifetime for a group of young players to train at the Inter Academy and for one undiscovered player to call the San Siro his home."

Football’s Next Star is based on a format created by Iconic Worldwide Media that is being globally distributed by Endemol Sport, a division of the Endemol Group that specializes in sports programming.