Photo Credit: Jay Blakesberg

“He who knows the rhythm knows the world,” Mickey Hart. 

Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart is threading the connection between music and sports in a new teaser trailer for Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience. The ESPN film will debut on the sports network (ESPN, ESPN+) on Wednesday, August 14 at 9 p.m. E.T. It presents a Hart-led sonic journey to create an original score inspired by conversations with icons and celebrated voices from the sports sphere. 

“Rhythm is the heartbeat of life, and it’s everywhere—in the music we create and the sports we love. When I set out to make Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience, my goal was to explore this universal pulse and celebrate how music and sports are deeply intertwined,” Hart stated via press release. “Through the voices and stories of some of the greatest athletes, we uncover the profound connection that rhythm brings to their performance and passion. This film is a journey into that shared human experience, a testament to the power of rhythm in uniting us all.”

“We dedicate this film to Bill Walton, whose own rhythmic journey in sports and life has been a true inspiration,” Hart included in his statement, referring to a friend and lauded member of ESPN’s family, Walton, who passed away on May 27, 2024. Apart from Big Red, Rhythm Masters culls stories from Phil Jackson, Joe Montana, Laila Ali, Ronnie Lott, Marshawn Lynch, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sheryl Swoopes, Ozzie Smith, Mario Andretti, Jack Nicklaus, Mike Piazza, Mark Messier, Alex Honnold, Mikaela Shiffrin, Rush Sturges, Alessia Zecchini and Bob Cousy. 

Brimming with personal stories, Rhythm Masters holds space to honor the artistry that pulses through music and sports while revealing how they inspire and elevate each other to unveil universal depths and connections. “Mickey’s introspective conversations with elite athletes, combined with his original music, has led to a unique film experience that’s meant to make you think and appreciate how music and sports unite us all,” Torey Champagne, the film’s Director and Senior Managing Producer, ESPN+ Originals added. 

Scroll down to watch the trailer for Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience, premiering Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 9 p.m. ET.