Starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch, the film chronicles the Munich massacre of 1972 from the perspective of the ABC Sports crew and their coverage of the events.

When Marvin Bader, the head of operations, questions the decision, Arledge reminds him of the importance of emphasizing emotions over politics to make an effective broadcast.

Along with Arledge, he takes pragmatic steps to turn the story into a gripping sensation, negotiating more advantageous time slots and even forging identification so that a crewmember can access the now-restricted Olympic village.

Though most of the crew is enthusiastic and confident that the conflict will be resolved quickly and successfully, a dismayed Bader reminds Mason and Arledge that the lives of real people are at stake and warns them of the impact they might have on the terrorists' narrative.

The terrorists are eventually transported with their hostages to the military airport of Fürstenfeldbruck, and Mason sends Marianne there for coverage, cynically including sound equipment in case a shootout takes place.

Realizing that the reports the studio received were all incorrect, a horrified Bader contacts an inside source and learns that the rescue attempt failed and all the hostages were in fact murdered.

Following an overwhelmingly positive response at Venice and Telluride, Paramount decided it was best to keep the film with them, with the main studio opting to officially acquire distribution rights.

The website's consensus reads: "Capturing the compromises, dedication, and human fallibility of the newsroom, September 5 is a worthy chronicle of a tragic flashpoint in broadcast media history.