Sony offers free admission to Concussion for NFL players

Players will be able to redeem their free admission by showing their NFL Players Association card at a local Cinemark theater.

Sony is offering free admission to all NFL players and their families to see Concussion in movie theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In the film, Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who is vocal against the NFL’s attempts to suppress his research on the discovery of CTE and brain damage in players.

“This is a movie for the players, so we wanted to give them a chance to see it before its nationwide release and free admission during its run in theaters,” producers Ridley Scott and Giannina Scott said in a statement. “The movie is so inspiring—Will Smith gives one of the best performances of his career as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a man who shined a light on the truth. The odds were stacked against him, but he had the truth on his side, and now, his discovery is all anyone’s talking about. We think the players will enjoy watching this movie about Dr. Omalu’s incredible courage—courage that changed the game.”

• REITER: Will Smith tries to shine a light on darkest side of the sport he loves

Players will be able to redeem their free admission by showing their NFL Players Association card at a local Cinemark theater.

The MMQB screened Concussion with 70 former NFL players, and received emotional reactions from several players.

The film will open nationwide on Dec. 25. This week’s cover of Sports Illustrated features Smith an accompanies a story on his relationship with football and his role in the movie.

- Christopher Chavez