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Game Show Based On Sports Trivia Immaculate Grid In The Works At Religion Of Sports

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Wednesday, October 1st 2025 at 12:59 GMT by Deadline.com
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“Immaculate Grid: Religion of Sports” – A Game‑Show Exploration of Faith and Competition

Deadline, Oct. 2025 – In a bold move that blends sports trivia with theological debate, a new television series called “Immaculate Grid: Religion of Sports” has been announced by Paramount + for a fall 2026 premiere. The show promises to be the first mainstream game‑show to tackle the way faith and sport intersect, from the ancient Olympic Games to modern‑day mega‑events. Below is a comprehensive rundown of what Deadline’s coverage reveals about the concept, format, creative team, and cultural context of this daring new venture.

The Premise

At its core, “Immaculate Grid” is a quizzical battle‑royale. Two teams of four, each representing a major faith tradition—Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist—compete in a mix of rapid‑fire trivia, live challenges, and moral dilemmas that draw on both historical and contemporary sports moments. The tagline, “Faith on the Field,” hints at the show’s mission to showcase how religion has shaped sporting culture and how sport, in turn, has served as a platform for spiritual expression.

The show’s tagline also alludes to its titular reference: “Immaculate” hints at the Catholic concept of immaculate conception, while “Grid” nods to the American football gridiron—an image that signals the show’s ambition to be both accessible to a mainstream audience and deep enough to satisfy scholars of religion.

Production and Creative Forces

• Creator/Executive Producer: Dr. Elena Rios, a professor of Religious Studies at Yale who previously co‑authored The Sacred Game: Religion in Athletics (2020). Rios says the show is born out of her own fascination with how athletes often weave their faith into their public personas—think of Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be drafted or Mia Hamm’s devoutness.

• Host: Gary “G-Money” Lewis, a former NFL commentator turned motivational speaker. Lewis brings an authentic sports background and a warm, conversational style that will help moderate heated debates on the set.

• Showrunner: Samuel “Sam” Ortiz of Sparrow Media, the production company behind the Emmy‑winning documentary Beyond the Game: The Spirit of Competition (2024). Ortiz’s experience with sports‑centric nonfiction lends credibility to the show’s research backbone.

• Panel of Religious Scholars: For every episode, three “Faith Judges”—Rabbi Dr. Miriam Levey, Imam Ahmed Zaman, and Dr. Suresh Kumar—provide contextual commentary, ensuring that faith-based questions are accurate, respectful, and nuanced.

Format and Gameplay

1. Warm‑Up Trivia (10 minutes) – Teams answer rapid‑fire questions about iconic sporting moments that also carry religious undertones. For instance, “Which team’s mascot was inspired by a biblical figure?” or “What ancient sport was played as a form of worship in the early Greeks?”

2. Themed Challenge (20 minutes) – Each team faces a live, location‑based challenge that tests their knowledge of faith, ethics, and sportsmanship. Example: a “Prayer Walk” where contestants must physically walk through a mini‑stadium while reciting a mantra, or a “Pledging the Spirit” where they must draft a pledge that blends sportsmanship with religious values.

3. Final Showdown (10 minutes) – A head‑to‑head face‑off on the “Immaculate Grid” – a custom, LED‑backlit board that displays points and historical timelines. The winning team earns a prize: a scholarship fund for religious education in athletics and a one‑on‑one coaching session with a famed athlete of that faith.

The show’s total runtime is 45 minutes, with a 10‑minute interlude that includes behind‑the‑scenes footage and interviews with athletes who have been known for their faith.

Cultural Context and Market Position

Deadline notes that this is a “first‑of‑its‑kind” effort. While sports shows such as The Match (CBS) and Hard Knocks (NFL Network) have explored athlete personalities, none have yet tackled faith as a thematic core. The article references a similar, albeit smaller, documentary series that aired on PBS in 2019 titled Sacred Games: Faith on the Field, which won a Peabody Award for its thoughtful portrayal of spirituality in sports. “Immaculate Grid” is positioned as a high‑energy, prime‑time counterpart to those slower‑pacing productions.

The Deadline article also quotes a Paramount + executive who emphasized that the network sees “a growing appetite among younger viewers for content that bridges their love of sports with their spiritual values.” The network will also run a cross‑promotional campaign featuring athletes like LeBron James (Christian), Novak Djokovic (Hindu), and Caitlyn Jenner (Christian/agnostic) in short “Faith & Focus” vlogs.

Reception and Controversy

The announcement has already sparked conversation on social media. The network released a teaser trailer on YouTube (link embedded in Deadline’s article) showing clips of athletes reciting prayers before the game and an enthusiastic host asking “Who can you trust with your faith, and who can you trust with your game?” Some religious communities welcomed the representation, while a few critics warned about the risk of “commercializing” sacred rituals.

To address concerns, the show’s creative team released a statement (linked in the Deadline article) that all questions will undergo a rigorous review by faith advisors, and that no question will be deemed “sacrilegious.” They also pledged to give each faith a chance to showcase positive stories, such as The 1996 Olympic boycott or the use of prayer in Paralympic Games.

Production Schedule and Availability

According to Deadline’s reporting, production kicked off in early November 2025. The pilot is expected to finish filming by March 2026, with a full season of 10 episodes slated to premiere in October 2026 on Paramount + ’s “PrimeTime” lineup. Additionally, the series will be available on the network’s “Sports & Faith” channel, a new vertical focused on niche sporting content.

Deadline also highlighted that the show will feature an interactive mobile app. Viewers can answer trivia live during the broadcast, competing with friends and possibly winning prizes. The app will sync with the show’s live “Faith Scores” board.

Looking Ahead

“Immaculate Grid: Religion of Sports” is positioned as a fresh take on the game‑show format, tapping into the cultural zeitgeist that favors inclusive, socially relevant programming. With a strong lineup of academics, athletes, and producers, the show promises to spark meaningful conversation around how faith shapes athletic identity—and vice versa.

In a landscape where sports content often leans toward hyper‑competitiveness or celebrity gossip, “Immaculate Grid” offers a thoughtful, if spirited, alternative. Whether it will resonate with audiences beyond the niche of faith‑focused viewers remains to be seen, but Deadline’s coverage suggests that the gamble could pay off—both in ratings and in the broader dialogue about sports, spirituality, and community.