The story of Tom Brady’s Super Bowl LI jersey theft is coming to television.
Fox Sports Films has announced “The Great Brady Heist” as the newest film in its Magnify series. Produced by NFL Films, in association with Gotham Chopra’s Religion of Sports, the documentary chronicles the disappearance of Brady’s jersey following the New England Patriots’ improbable Super Bowl LI comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in Houston, TX.
Through never-before-seen Fox Sports footage, exclusive conversations with Brady, the first ever on-camera interview with the man who stole the valuable jersey and other behind-the-scenes moments, the film “looks intricately at the investigation as well as the boundaries of fandom and redemption,” according to the network.
“The Great Brady Heist” runs a little less than an hour. It debuts on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7:00 PM ET on FOX, the night before Super Bowl LIV.
“As the game’s broadcaster, Fox Sports played a role in so many elements of this story, so it made sense for us, with the help of NFL Films and Religion of Sports, to take a closer look and see it through,” said Charlie Dixon, Executive Vice President of Content for Fox Sports. “The Great Brady Heist is the fulfillment of a three-year journey that’s captivated us from the beginning, and the film’s Super Bowl weekend debut makes it particularly special.”
Valued at well into six figures, the search for the jersey lasted about a month and a half. Houston Police traced Brady’s most recent missing jersey to Mexico where it was recovered at the home of Mauricio Ortega, a former newspaper executive and avid NFL jersey collector who had credentials to enter the Patriots locker room. The FBI and Mexican authorities assisted in the case. Investigators also located the shirt Brady had worn in the title game two seasons earlier. A tip in the case came from a 19-year-old Seattle area jersey collector who said Ortega showed him the jersey during the course of an online conversation. The FBI eventually returned both jerseys to the Patriots.
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the sports world, a story like this comes around,” said Ross Ketover, Chief Executive, NFL Films. “Anyone who thinks they know what happened that day will discover more jaw-dropping details than they could have imagined. ‘The Great Brady Heist’ is one of the most unique projects NFL Films has ever produced.”
The company has produced a trailer for the film.
“Sports are mythic. We invest so much of ourselves as fans in our favorite teams and players. This is a tale about that – what a singular jersey means beyond the threads it’s made of and the number on the back,” said Gotham Chopra, Co-Founder, Religion of Sports. “Why did multiple federal agencies and countless high-powered individuals all become a part of this hunt for Tom’s jersey? Because sports matter and are about so much more than wins and losses.”
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