“Setting The Tempo” Coming Soon To ESPN & Disney+
Disney has announced details on a brand-new four-part ESPN Original Series called “Setting the Tempo”, which chronicles the creation and launch of the Toronto Tempo.
Directed by Kathleen Jayme and produced by Rock’n Robin Productions in association with Maximum Effort, Ujiri Productions and Nine Two Six Productions, “Setting the Tempo” takes audiences inside the exhilarating, high-stakes process of building a WNBA franchise from the ground up. Led by an all-women leadership team featuring team president Teresa Resch, who was part of the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship organization, head coach Sandy Brondello, a two-time WNBA champion and the 2014 WNBA Coach of the Year, and general manager Monica Wright Rogers, a two-time WNBA champion, the series captures the relentless race against the clock as they evaluate talent, establish a culture, and lay the foundation for sustained success.
The series features members of the Tempo’s inaugural roster, including Marina Mabrey, Brittney “Slim” Sykes, Kia Nurse and Kiki Rice, among others, offering an inside look at the players helping shape the identity of the WNBA’s first Canadian franchise.
Lindsay Rovegno, Vice President & Executive Producer, ESPN Originals, said in a statement regarding the new show:
“Setting the Tempo is a compelling, unique look at the building of a successful WNBA franchise, spotlighting the female executives who have been integral from the very beginning. We’re excited for fans to experience not just the birth of Canada’s first WNBA franchise, but also the latest milestone for women’s basketball.”
With Robin Roberts adding:
“As someone who has loved women’s basketball and had the privilege of being part of the WNBA’s story since the very beginning, this project feels incredibly special. The launch of the Toronto Tempo represents a defining moment for the league and for women’s sports in Canada. This series captures the passion, pressure and purpose behind building a franchise from the ground up, while shining a light on the women leading the way and shaping the future of the game.”
Teresa Resch, President, Toronto Tempo, also added:
“What makes Setting the Tempo so special is that it captures a moment when so much of what the Toronto Tempo would become still existed only as an idea. Every decision carried enormous possibility, and this series gives fans a window into the people, conviction and care behind those choices. To now see this team take the floor, represent Toronto and Canada, and begin building its own history makes looking back at those early days incredibly meaningful.”
As Canada’s first-ever WNBA team prepared for its inaugural season, the Tempo are not simply assembling a roster. They are shaping a legacy in real time. From front office strategy sessions to defining personnel decisions, every move carries historic weight. Working against an exceptionally condensed timeline, the organisation must quickly build its basketball operations, establish a culture and assemble a team ready to compete from day one. With expectations soaring, national pride on the line, and the countdown to tip-off accelerating, Setting the Tempo chronicles the ambition, pressure and purpose behind launching a franchise determined to make an immediate impact.
Executive producers include Serena Williams and Masai Ujiri, principal owners of the Tempo, and Lilly Singh, Tempo owner and the team’s Chief Hype Officer. Williams and Caroline Currier of Nine Two Six Productions serve as executive producers alongside Singh, Robin Roberts and Reni Calister of Rock’n Robin Productions, Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hill of Maximum Effort, and Ujiri and Josiah Rothenberg of Ujiri Productions.
The series will premiere on Sunday, 20th September 2026, with all episodes available to stream on the ESPN App and Disney+. The series will make its linear debut that evening at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with all four episodes airing consecutively. The series will also air from 5-7 p.m. ET on TSN and stream on Disney+ in Canada and select international markets, as well as on the ESPN App.
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