New Series Based on the Beloved Computer Games
To Feature the Voices of Tiffany Haddish, Donald Faison, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Arturo Castro, Uktarsh Ambudkar, and more!
First Look Image and Sizzle Reel Unveiled at Comic-Con 2026!
Watch the Sizzle HERE!
Today, Playground Productions, a children’s and family company focused on making best-in-class film, television, digital media and video games, announced a new animated series “Backyard Sports: The Animated Series.” The series, featuring the voices of Tiffany Haddish, Donald Faison, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and more, also released a First Look Image and Sizzle reel at their Comic-con panel today in San Diego.
Playground Productions Chief Product Office Chris Waters will serve as Showrunner. Juston Gordon-Montgomery serves as Supervising Director, Adam Aseraf and Sarah Nevada Smith will serve as Head Writers and Co-EPs. The series will be produced by Playground CEO Lindsay Barnett, Waters, along with Ari Pinchot and Stuart Avi Savitsky with animation services by Lighthouse Studios. Filmmakers will create 20 episodes of “Backyard Sports: The Animated Series,” each running about 11 minutes.
“Backyard Sports: The Animated Series” stars many well-known voices as fan favorites, including: Tiffany Haddish as Kiesha Phillips, Donald Faison as Dante Robinson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Dmitri Petrovich, Arturo Castro as Pablo Sanchez, Uktarsh Ambudkar as Achmed Khan, Deborah Baker Jr. as Kimmy Eckman, Michael Vlamis as Tony Delvecchio, Ashleigh Crystal Hairston as Sunny Day, Will Neff as Mr. Clanky, Vincent Tong as Kenny Kawaguchi, Joey Rudman as Marky Dubois, and Lindsay Barnett as Vinnie.
The series is based on Backyard Baseball — the full-scale revamp of the beloved 2D arcade-style classic that has captivated kids and adults since 1997. The newly rebooted game launched on July 9th for Steam for Mac and PC, with Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation versions arriving soon. Fans who grew up with the game can now watch cherished characters come to life in a series with their own kids!
“I am beyond thrilled to announce our series today,” said Lindsay Barnett, CEO of Playground Productions. “The Backyard Sports characters have inspired imaginations for generations, and their stories have always felt bigger than the game itself. As Backyard Baseball expands with the new game on Steam and soon consoles, bringing these characters into new forms of storytelling feels like a natural extension of the Backyard universe.”
The series marks the beginning of something far larger. Playground Productions is building the “Backyardiverse” — a connected world where sports, storytelling, and culture all come together. The all new Backyard Baseball video game is not simply a throwback; it is the kickoff to a whole new era of Backyard Sports.
To stay updated on future developments, including the launch of the re-vamped Backyard Baseball, please visit the Backyard Sports franchise page on Steam, as well as www.backyardsports.com and www.playground-productions.com
BACKYARD SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @backyardsportsofficial
TikTok: @backyardsports
YouTube: @backyardsports
PLAYGROUND PRODUCTIONS SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @playground.productions
ABOUT PLAYGROUND PRODUCTIONS
Playground Productions is a children’s and family company focused on making best-in-class film, television, digital media, and video games. Playground’s founder Lindsay Barnett spent close to a decade teaching second grade in a Chicago Public School. Playground’s content aims to inspire a love of play. By leveraging the best technology, talent, and character IP, Playground creates content that celebrates the spirit of play, meets children where they are developmentally, and allows kids to be kids.
ABOUT BACKYARD SPORTS
Backyard Sports is a nostalgic brand for the whole family, capturing the feeling of the 90s. The franchise features over 30+ diverse characters and is one of the only brands where boys and girls share the same athletic abilities. The Backyard Sports content is centered around everyday neighborhood children playing sports together. The charm of the games was due in large part to the Backyard kids embodying the same quirks and humor as seen in children’s little league, little dribblers, and pee wee football.
