Dick’s Sporting Goods is stepping into the spotlight—this time, behind the camera. The U.S. sports retailer has officially launched Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, a content and production studio focused on producing original, sports-centric storytelling, just ahead of the ESPN premiere of its new documentary, Big Dreams: The Little League World Series 2024.

Directed by Emmy-winner Rudy Valdez, the feature doc explores one of America’s most iconic youth tournaments, filmed on location in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the Little League World Series has played out for nearly 80 years. The film is produced by Cookie Jar & A Dream alongside Imagine Documentaries (Brian Grazer and Ron Howard) and MLB Studios.

The launch marks a strategic pivot by Dick’s from sponsor to storyteller—aiming to create long-form, unscripted series and documentaries that resonate with athletes and fans alike. The studio’s name is a nod to Dick’s origin story: in 1948, founder Dick Stack borrowed $300 from his grandmother’s cookie jar to open a bait-and-tackle shop in Binghamton, New York. That same scrappy ethos now fuels a growing slate of Emmy-winning content.

“We believe sports have the power to change lives,” said Mark Rooks, VP of Creative, Entertainment & Sponsorships at Dick’s. “There are so many inspiring human stories that deserve to be told.”

Cookie Jar & A Dream has already built an impressive résumé, with five feature-length films and ten short-form or episodic documentaries. Its 2014 debut, We Could Be King, won an Emmy. So did The Turnaround, a 2023 short doc about Phillies superfan Jon McCann, created in partnership with Higher Ground, Breakwater Studios, and MLB.

“We don’t just want to advertise during sports—we want to create the stories fans remember,” added Rebecca Covington, senior director of creative production.

Big Dreams premieres August 12 on ESPN.