Premieres Weekend Mornings Starting Saturday, May 9
NEW YORK, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG), in an exclusive partnership with the Rose Bowl Institute and Walk Swiftly Productions, today announced an original unscripted sports-themed series: The Champion’s Edge with Bonnie Bernstein. The new weekly program premieres Saturday, May 9, and will air weekend mornings on ABC stations nationwide as part of the Weekend Adventure educational/informational programming block (times may vary; check local listings).
The Champion’s Edge with Bonnie Bernstein showcases women thriving in their professions who are harnessing life lessons learned as athletes to fuel their success. Each episode also offers practical tips in areas such as sports nutrition, mental preparation, and injury prevention.
Some of the former athletes and power players featured in the series will include ABC News chief meteorologist and former multisport high school athlete Ginger Zee; pioneering neurosurgeon and former Yale soccer player Dr. Theresa Williamson; ESPN broadcaster, Olympic gold medalist and Stanford University softball player Jessica Mendoza; University of North Carolina field hockey coach, former player and five time NCAA field hockey champion Erin Matson; and chiropractor, biomechanist, Olympic sprinter and bobsledder, and former Houston track star Dr. Seun Adigun.
Bonnie Bernstein, the program’s Emmy® Award-winning creator, host and one of its executive producers, is among America’s most accomplished sports journalists. Currently the Founder and CEO of Walk Swiftly Productions, Bernstein spent nearly two decades as a reporter and studio host for ESPN, ABC and CBS Sports, covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college football and basketball. As a multi-sport high school athlete and collegiate gymnast, Bernstein draws upon her personal experience and perspective to guide the series.
“Research shows an overwhelming number of women thriving at the highest levels of industry and entrepreneurship played sports. It’s not a coincidence,” Bernstein said. “The Champion’s Edge is dedicated to telling their stories, and helping raise awareness among athletes, and their parents and coaches, about the lifelong benefits of play.”
“Women’s sports are reaching unprecedented visibility and influence,” said Bryan Curb, HMPG executive vice president and general manager, education/information. “This series builds on that momentum and delivers powerful stories that will inspire a new generation of leaders.”
HMPG’s current program portfolio comprises more than 30 original series and hundreds of hours of content annually on leading broadcast networks and station groups and on connected TV and streaming platforms. It has a library of 85 series (6,000 episodes) and its content can be found in 100 countries.
ABOUT THE ROSE BOWL INSTITUTE
Launched in 2020, The Rose Bowl Institute (RBI) is the educational arm of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation. Through focused dialogue and awards that champion sportsmanship, leadership and citizenship, RBI’s mission is to inspire at-risk youth in Southern California and across the nation. James Washington, a former two-time Super Bowl Champion and UCLA Alumni, leads the Institute alongside a current Advisory Board.
ABOUT WALK SWIFTLY PRODUCTIONS
Walk Swiftly Productions is a multimedia production company, specializing in concept-to-delivery execution of award-winning non-scripted content for distribution platforms, brands and private clients. Founded by Bonnie Bernstein in 2017, WSP has collaborated with some of the most prominent organizations and platforms in sports and entertainment, including ESPN, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff (CFP), Audible and Country Music Television (CMT).
ABOUT HEARST MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP
Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG), a business unit of Hearst Television, is an independent producer and distributor of original programming for TV stations, broadcast and cable networks and streaming services. HMPG produces hundreds of hours of Emmy® Award-winning programming annually across linear, streaming, digital and social media platforms for domestic and international distribution in 100 countries. Its popular weekly educational/informational (E/I) programming blocks air weekends nationwide including “Weekend Adventure,” on ABC stations; “CBS WKND,” on the CBS Network; “The More You Know,” on the NBC Network; “One Magnificent Morning,” on the CW Network; “Mi Telemundo” on the Telemundo Network and “Go Time” on independent stations. HMPG also produces and/or distributes a diverse slate of other programming and content including the company’s dedicated FAST channels Xplore, The Jack Hanna Channel, Rovr Pets, and Lucky Dog Channel, available on some of the most popular smart TVs and streaming platforms. HMPG has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Charlotte. HMPG is represented by United Talent Agency.
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SOURCE Hearst Media Production Group, LLC
