‘Champions’ Canceled After One Season at NBC But Being Shopped Elsewhere

By Joe Otterson

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Champions” will not return for a second season at NBC.

Universal Television, with whom “” executive producer Mindy Kaling has an overall deal, is said to be looking for a new home for the show. Kaling also has the upcoming “Four Weddings and a Funeral” project for Hulu through Universal Television, but there is no word yet on if Hulu will step in for “Champions” the way it did with Kaling’s previous network comedy “The Mindy Project.”

“Champions” centered on Vince, a washed up high school baseball star who reluctantly gave up his dreams to take over the family gym in Brooklyn. He lived with his sweet, naive younger brother, Matthew, and was on the verge of secretly selling the gym and moving to Florida when an old high school fling, unexpectedly dropped off their 15-year-old son, Michael.

The series struggled to find an audience from the get-go, averaging just a 0.5 rating and 2 million viewers in Live+Same Day.

The series starred Anders Holm, Fortune Feimster, Andy Favreau, J.J. Totah, and Mouzam Makkar. Kaling, who co-created the series with Charlie Grandy, guest starred. Grandy, Kaling, Matt Warburton, Howard Klein and Michael Spiller served as executive producers, with Spiller also directing. “Champions” was produced by Universal Television, 3 Arts Entertainment, Charlie Grandy Productions, Inc. and Kaling International.

previously picked up new comedies “I Feel Bad” and “Abby’s” and resurrected Fox’s canceled “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” for the 2018-19 television season. “I Feel Bad” will launch in the fall, with the other two set for midseason. NBC also picked up new dramas “Manifest” and “New Amsterdam” for fall 2018 and “The Enemy Within,” “The Village” and “The InBetween” for midseason.