UPDATE: Filming will begin on April 1st-3rd, 2011 at NPPL Surf City Open.
To some, paintball on television has been seen as the holy grail of paintball. Players, teams and industry members have long sought the nationwide exposure that mainstream television offers as a way to help broaden our acceptance and bring in outside money. Many paintball players rejoiced when in 2007 and 2008 the NPPL broadcast Xtreme Paintball; Beyond the Paint (IMDB), a TV show focused on the professional paintball circuit and the lifestyle of those players. Sources reported the show received respectable ratings but the bankruptcy filing by then NPPL parent company, Pacific Paintball, in 2008 sealed the series fate.
ProPaintball insiders report that the National Professional Paintball League has been meeting with ESPN to bring professional paintball back to television. Reports suggest the talks have included live web broadcast on ESPN3, television syndication, and possibly Summer X-Games. ProPaintball insiders indicate that the first filming will begin at the upcoming 2011 NPPL Surf City Open in Huntington Beach, CA.
While the NPPL offered no official confirmation, other comments did hint at a forthcoming announcement. Stay tuned.