WILLIAM “Billy” ZAGGER

William “Billy” Zagger is the founder and CEO of B-Train Films, an Emmy Award-winning production company, that creates original, compelling and visually stimulating programming that connects audiences with stories that resonate. B-Train’s narrator-free documentary-style is the truest form of reality television: untainted by viewpoints, preferences or prejudices. B-Train’s philosophy is to act as a conduit, delivering inspirational and enlightening messages from the screen to the audience.

Billy’s storytelling methods were the backbone of such programs as ESPN’s SportsCentury and the revolutionary 24/7 series featuring the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders. One look at NFL Network’s Six Days to Sunday or HBO Boxing’s 24/7 series and the impact of Billy’s work is clear.

B-Train looks to explore every aspect of our subjects: personal, physical, and contextual. Only then will a program meet the rigorous standards that today’s sophisticated audiences demand.

In my own words...
“Living in the shadows of two High School standout athletes and having a sister that could hold her own on the ball field it was an uphill battle to make any kind of mark on the family mantle. I would always hang around the sidelines of my older brothers teams envisioning that I was out there with them desperately wanting to live up to their achievements and taste success. Let me tell you that it’s a pretty cool thing when your older brothers are two of the best football players your town has ever seen.

At this point in my life, the thrill of competition became my lifeblood. Testing yourself against another was everything to me... And the man I always wanted to impress was my late grandfather William Hamilton. The man who witnessed almost every game I’ve ever played, from winning our hometown Little League World Series (The Braves beating the Giants) all the way through College football and baseball. Until this day he was always my biggest critic and biggest fan. I was so focused during games, but always heard him say, “that a boy, Bill.” This is the same man who checked himself out of the hospital, after having a stroke, to attend my college graduation.

Sports became the center of my universe. I would watch Wide World of Sports every Saturday to take a journey to some special place in the world. For me, it was a chance to learn about these great athletes looking to achieve greatness and listen to every word of the greatest sports announcers tell their stories.

I wrote an Article for Scholastic about how I wanted my life to unfold. It stated that I wanted to play sports through college and then work behind the scenes producing sports, capturing human drama, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. My life has followed that article to a T. I read it recently, only because my father saved a copy for me – it’s been over 30 years that he has kept the article and to see how my life has followed the shape of what I wrote at the age of 12… Incredible.

I don’t think people give enough credit to life’s lessons that you learn on the practice field. Getting the opportunity to work together for a common goal – to win. Again, I believe this is the recipe for success in life. What I learned on the ball fields of Bayport High School or the campus of Stony Brook set the foundation to build my future.

I interned at NBC News and began working the weekends at NBC Sports. I was in the door and the chase for a dream became real and there was no way I was I was fortunate to be asked to work for the Olympic Profile unit before the Barcelona games. Then I was asked if I would like to cover the games themselves.
As I walked up the hill (Montjuic) to the Track and Field Venue I was absolutely overcome by the emotions… This dream that I’ve had since I was 11 was playing itself out. For the next 9 years I covered the greatest sporting events all over the world. To do what you love is one thing, but to be able to see different cultures and appreciate art, the architecture and the incredible people of each city is amazing.

I never thought I would leave NBC Sports, but an incredible opportunity came along and I found myself at ESPN – SportsCentury, A documentary series looking back at the last 100 years in sports. A second dream and the crowning moment for me was having the opportunity to produce the first show to air with the legends of sports broadcasting: Curt Gowdy, Jim McKay, Jack Whitaker, Dave Anderson and Dick Shaap.

While I was working at ESPN I needed to conduct an interview with Al Davis, Owner of The OAKLAND Raiders (My favorite team along with the Jets growing Up). After chasing Al down for months he finally agreed to an interview. We sat for almost three hours and after the interview he asked “what would it take for you to come work for me?” I took a shot for the moon thinking there was no way he would agree. His response: “Done”. Weeks later, I left for the west coast and worked for one of the greatest men I’ve ever met. (I still have nightmares from Foxboro… Brady had both hands on the ball when Charles Woodson caused the fumble)

After 9/11 I felt that I had to get back home to the city that was simply home – New York. I went back to NBC Sports and worked on the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. At this time I took probably my biggest leap of faith starting my own production company and for over 10 years B-Train films has been on the tracks producing, what else, sports documentaries.
During all these triumphs and tribulations there was one person I would always check in with and share my thoughts - Mom. She has always been the driving force in my life, the person I’ve always wanted to make most proud.

After a battle with lung cancer that my mother so valiantly fought, She passed away on November 2nd, 2010. We lived together for the last couple of years of her life while she was getting treatment at Sloan-Kettering and I can’t tell you how much I cherish that time and the conversations we had. Although she is no longer by my side, she continues to guide me everyday… And her wish is coming true, that I would find that someone special and get married. I only wish she could have met my incredible wife Kaile because she is everything my mother would ever wanted for me.” - Billy Zagger