Update (11/19) - Official press release:
DICK'S Sporting Goods' Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios Announces Newest Project, An Unscripted Television Series Titled Play It Forward: Game On
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| Play It Forward: Game On Poster |
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, DICK'S Sporting Goods' (NYSE: DKS) in-house content and production studio, Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, announced its latest project, Play It Forward: Game On. The unscripted six-episode TV series is set to premiere tomorrow, November 19 at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
Play It Forward: Game On is hosted by CBS Sports analyst and two-time WNBA champion Renee Montgomery, two-time Emmy-nominated actor and Nickelodeon alum Kel Mitchell and YouTube star Jesser. In the series, the three stars go undercover, joining forces with hometown coaches and parents, to pull off jaw-dropping makeovers for under-resourced youth sports teams.
In this ultimate sports surprise show, viewers will follow along as the dream team creates hilarious moments to keep the kids distracted while the makeover team, led by youth sports expert and Director of The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation, Kristen Garmey, works undercover to provide everything from new uniforms and training equipment to game gear and full-blown field upgrades.
The six youth sports teams and organizations featured in Play It Forward: Game On are: Blaze Sports wheelchair basketball team, Sporting Club Soccer Academy, Lady Vikings youth volleyball team, Atlanta Metro Leadership Sports Academy, Rosel Fan youth football and the Henry County boys lacrosse program.
"At The DICK'S Foundation, we believe in the power of sports to transform lives; and we know that not every young athlete has the same opportunity to play," said Kristen Garmey, Director of The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation. "That's why we created the Sports Matter Program to support under-resourced organizations, schools and teams nationwide. Play It Forward: Game On is a natural extension of our mission. I am honored to have been a part of this project and see first-hand the kids' reactions to their upgraded facilities, new equipment and gear. It is truly moving. One of my favorite moments was when I overheard a young athlete from Henry County boys' lacrosse program tell his friend, 'This is the best day of my life'. That's the reason we do the work we do - to create memories that extend beyond the playing field and will have a lasting impact."
"This project is an exciting one for Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios," said Mark Rooks, VP of Creative, Sponsorship & Entertainment at DICK'S Sporting Goods. "It allows us to halo the incredible work of The DICK'S Foundation, and deliver on the studio's mission to tell powerful, human-centered stories through the lens of sport. With Nickelodeon as our distribution partner, we get to bring these inspiring stories into the living rooms of families across the country every Wednesday."
Following the series launch, Play It Forward: Game On will continue airing regularly Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. The show is executive produced by Jason Berger, Amy Laslett and Mark Marracini for Kids at Play; Rebecca Covington, Mark Rooks and Frank Igrec for Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios; and Kevin Healy.
"Play It Forward: Game On marks the first-ever unscripted television series for Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios," said Rebecca Covington, Sr. Director, Creative Production at DICK'S Sporting Goods. "We are excited to continue expanding the studio's portfolio and grateful to have multi-Emmy-winning production partners, like Kids at Play, who know this medium extremely well."
Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, which DICK'S Sporting Goods launched this summer, is the brand's Emmy-winning, in-house content and production studio. Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios was founded on the belief that sports have the power to change lives and build community. The studio's work spotlights the grit, triumphs and heartbreak behind every athlete's journey, with a mission to create emotionally resonant content that inspires long after the final whistle blows. At its core, the studio believes sports are more than just competition; they are universal stories of hope, resilience and connection.
About DICK'S Sporting Goods
DICK'S Sporting Goods creates confidence and excitement by inspiring, supporting and personally equipping all athletes to achieve their dreams.
Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, DICK'S is a leading omni-channel retailer and an iconic brand in sport and culture. Its banners include DICK'S Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Public Lands and Going Going Gone! in addition to the experiential retail concepts DICK'S House of Sport and Golf Galaxy Performance Center. As owner and operator of Foot Locker, including Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and atmos, DICK'S serves the global sneaker community across 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, plus a licensed store presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. DICK'S also owns and operates GameChanger, a youth sports mobile platform for live streaming, scheduling, communications and scorekeeping.
Driven by its belief that sports have the power to change lives, DICK'S has been a longtime champion for youth sports and, together with its Foundation, has donated millions of dollars to support under-resourced teams and athletes through the Sports Matter program and other community-based initiatives. Additional information about DICK'S business, corporate giving and employment opportunities can be found [...] on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.
About The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation
The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inspire and enable sports participation. It was created by DICK'S Sporting Goods as a private corporate foundation to support DICK'S charitable and philanthropic activities. Driven by its belief that sports have the power to change lives, The DICK'S Foundation champions youth sports and provides grants and support to under-resourced teams and athletes through its Sports Matter program and other community-based initiatives. Additional information about The DICK'S Foundation can be found on sportsmatter.org and on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
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Original post:
Nickelodeon will premiere Play it Forward: Game On, a brand new sports-focused show, on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT)!
Almost every hometown sports team could use some help once in a while. Join Renee Montgomery along with Kel Mitchell and Jesser as they come in and work behind the scenes to give the surprise of a lifetime to local youth and sports.
Play it Forward will reportedly feature Atlanta Vibe and the Lady Vikings at C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center.
From TV Insider:
Kel Mitchell Talks Nickelodeon Return & Tear-Jerking New Show ‘Play It Forward: Game On’
What To Know
- Kel Mitchell returns to Nickelodeon for Play It Forward: Game On, an unscripted series where he and YouTube star Jesser surprise under-resourced youth sports teams with major makeovers and new equipment.
- The show features emotional transformations and quick turnarounds, highlighting the importance of giving back.
- Mitchell expresses excitement about returning to his Nickelodeon roots, emphasizing the show’s blend of comedy and meaningful messages, and hints at future projects.
Time to stock up on your orange soda because Kel Mitchell is returning to Nickelodeon for Play It Forward: Game On. The new unscripted series sees the All That, Kenan & Kel, and Good Burger fan-favorite join YouTube star Jesser (Jesse Riedel) as they go undercover with hometown coaches and parents to pull off jaw-dropping makeovers.
Kristen Garmey, youth sports expert and director of Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation, oversees the transformations while the kids are distracted before the big reveal. These under-resourced youth teams are given the ultimate surprise of everything from new uniforms and training equipment to game gear and full-blown field upgrades. Renee Montgomery, CBS Sports analyst and WNBA champion, serves as executive producer and host of the feel-good show.
Before the November 19 premiere, Mitchell opens up about what the program means to him and his Nick kid roots.
What were your thoughts on the Play It Forward show concept?
Kel Mitchell: I work a lot in the community here in Los Angeles, in my hometown of Chicago, and I always show my kids how important it is to give back. So, when I heard about this show, I was like, “of course I want to be a part of it.” There are a lot of gyms, schools, and teams that need a lot of help as far as equipment and things of that nature. When they told me it was us going in there and giving back in such a way that could help build a future for youth, I had to be a part of it. It’s also cool to go undercover. I get to play characters with these kids. It’s a tearjerker, so get ready because you’re going to be crying in a good way. I tell my daughter all the time it’s happy tears.
It sounds like you have to put your sketch comedy and character background to good use.
I do. It’s super fun for me to do that. Shoutout to our makeup team and wardrobe team. One of them I do remember was a volleyball team, and I had to tell them something was wrong with the pipes. I was a guy filming my own YouTube page, but I fixed pipes and did construction. So, I had to change my voice, and they had to quickly change my beard and all that stuff. You have to remember that I’ve been on kids shows for years. Even the new generation, they know me from Game Shakers and things like that. Immediately, they hear my voice, so I have to change my voice with every character. My eyes are a dead give away where people may be like, “wait, is that Double G, and Ed from Good Burger?” I have to switch my voice, so it’s fun for me to go undercover and these kids. I think I did a good job. All in good fun.
How was it working with Jesser? And also Renee Montgomery, who knows the importance of accessibility in terms of youth sports programs?
Jesser is amazing. We had a blast. There is a part where I’m at Dicks Sporting Goods and get a lot of equipment for the kids. Jesser helps me out with that part. We had the employees laughing and everyone cracking up in there. It’s just super fun. Renee, I always say she comes prepared and ready. I love that about her. I’m the same way. She is awesome with the kids and to work alongside. We are like a dynamic duo on this. She is like a sister now. That’s my lil’ sis now.
What can you tell us about some of the stories and transformations we’re going to see? I’m thinking there isn’t a lot of time to work on these projects.
Sometimes we have to change it around in 48 hours, 72 hours. It’s super quick. One of them was a wheelchair basketball team. Hearing the kids telling their story of how much they love playing at this gym and how much they love working, even though they needed new wheelchairs and all these new things. We came in and changed it for them. When you see the tears…We had a few Olympic players come that they looked up to come by that were also wheelchair basketball players. To hear their stories and see the kids’ faces and the parents when they started talking, we just started crying while we’re hosting. It’s a beautiful moment. To give back and be the reason someone smiles that’s awesome to have that as a job at the end of the day.
How is it for you to have the show airing on Nickelodeon? It’s like coming full-circle.
It’s crazy. It’s wild. I do so many other different things, but when Nickelodeon calls I’m there if it makes sense with what I’m doing. This project made sense to me. It’s beautiful. Giving back is right up my alley. They told me that too when they approached me. They said, “Kel, we know you do this on the regular.” They were right. So, we’re doing it again. It’s lightning in a bottle again with Nickelodeon.
This show carries a positive message. What are your thoughts on the landscape of kids’ programming today?
You have some shows that presently rely on the silliness of everything, which is fun because sometimes you just want to sit back and laugh. I do like it when a show is silly, makes you laugh, but then there is some meaningfulness there. You walk away learning something. You walk away with a message. I love that. A lot of shows in the 1990s had that message that would go through somewhere in the middle or toward the end of a show. That’s why I gravitated to a show like this so much because we’re going to make you laugh, but there is a message in there too, to be kind. I think that’s really cool. I’m glad that entertainment is coming back, at least in my household.
In this world of social media, how do you think All That would have done had it came out today?
I think what’s cool about All That is in our sketches is we created a world made up. You can watch it now, and we really didn’t touch on what was going on currently. You’re talking about Repairman. You’re talking about Superdude, who was allergic to yogurt and all this crazy stuff. It was more like we were like live action cartoons in a way. You watch it right now, it still works. I think that is what is good. It could still work.
You’re coming up to 30 years in 2026 since Kenan & Kel started. Anything you’re doing to mark the occasion?
Oh wow, you’ve done the math. Has it been 30 years? See, that’s why I’m in the gym right now. We haven’t talked about it. I know the fans want us to do something. A lot of fans have come up to us asking about reunions and things of that nature. I did have a fun meeting last week that I can’t tell you about where they want to do with me and some of my characters. We’ll have some surprises for the fans because we love our fans. We actually hear when they talk on social media with what they would like to see. We like to make them happy.
It’s cool to see you and Kenan remain good friends. You never know in the industry and after years pass, but the bond seems to still be there between you two.
It’s definitely strong. I admire what he is doing. He admires what I’m doing. That’s what it’s all about within this industry and learning from another and applauding one another. There is no competition with any of my peers and those I grew up with after all these years. I’m just excited for everyone. To be still in this business from the 1990s and still thriving, it’s a blessing within itself. That needs to be applauded by everyone.
How is it now sharing your work with your kids?
I love it. I just dropped my daughter off and one of her friends walked up and was like, “your dad was in Good Burger!” It’s crazy because her friend wasn’t even born then. Neither was my daughter when Good Burger first came out. It’s so cool to have my kids to enjoy these shows I’m on where they can watch the stuff daddy is on. That’s super fun for me. And the fact they can be excited about it and talk to their friends about it.
Is there anything you haven’t done in your acting career that you want to do?
I touch on a lot of things. I’ve done drama. I write. I put out novels. I just go wherever God takes me and whatever I feel within that moment creatively I put out in the world, I just rock with it. I do have two thrillers coming out though. My children probably can’t see those thrillers, but I’m excited about that too as well. I am an actor at the core of it all and want to show my dramatic side. I have two projects coming out that I’m very excited about.
Play It Forward: Game On premiere, November 19, 5:30/4:30c, Nickelodeon
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Originally published: November 03, 2025.
Official DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. press release courtesy of PR Newswire.
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