The weekly series THE FRANCHISE: A SEASON WITH THE MIAMI MARLINS will premiere with a new one-hour episode on Wednesday, July 11 at 10 PM ET/PT.  Thirty-minute episodes will follow each subsequent Wednesday night at 10 PM ET/PT on SHOWTIME for the following seven weeks. 

 Season two of THE FRANCHISE will bring together the sexy, cosmopolitan vibe of the city of Miami with the intense and competitive world of America’s pastime as it follows one of Major League Baseball’s most talked-about teams – the Miami Marlins.  The Marlins have a new look in 2012, with the hiring of Guillen, the acquisition of All-Stars Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and Carlos Zambrano, and the return of established young stars including Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson and Giancarlo Stanton.  Behind team owner Jeffery Loria and president David Samson, both of whom are providing extensive access to their front office operation, the Marlins have launched an extensive re-branding of the club this off-season which has included a name change (from Florida to Miami), the construction of a new ballpark and the unveiling of dramatically different uniforms.

A collaboration between SHOWTIME and Major League Baseball Productions, THE FRANCHISE: A SEASON WITH THE MIAMI MARLINS is currently in production in Miami, as well as various locations around the country as the team begins the 2012 season.  The show will continue to expand on SHOWTIME Sports^® existing line-up of stellar and award-winning programming that includes INSIDE THE NFL, INSIDE NASCAR, FIGHT CAMP 360°,ShoBox: The New Generation, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® and STRIKEFORCE^® Mixed Martial Arts.