No, it’s not another remake of the musical Annie; it’s HBO and NFL collaborating on an all-new version of their sports series, “Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North.”
For the first time ever, the sports series will tell the stories of an entire NFL division, the AFC North, which comprises the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The series debuts Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will air subsequent Tuesdays through the end of the NFL regular season and into the NFL playoffs in January 2025.
“Last season the AFC North became the first division ever to have all four teams finish with a winning record, making it the perfect place to launch this new approach to ‘Hard Knocks,’” said Keith Cossrow, NFL Films vice president and head of content. “We thank the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers for the opportunity to showcase some of the greatest rivalries in football and present the intensity of a playoff chase from all four corners of this incredibly competitive division.”
“Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North” will document the last six weeks of the NFL season and the playoff run for the division-winner and any AFC North Wild Card Teams. The series has won 18 Emmys.
The show will chronicle the journey of the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers, who have never been featured on “Hard Knocks.” Viewers will also see John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens, Zac Taylor’s Cincinnati Bengals, and Kevin Stefanski’s Cleveland Browns. Players spotlighted will include quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Derrick Henry, Ja’Marr Chase, Myles Garrett, TJ Watt and an array of other AFC North star players will be featured as well.
“We are ecstatic to expand the ‘Hard Knocks’ universe with our partners at NFL Films to the always thrilling AFC North division race,” said Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller, co-executive vice presidents, HBO Documentary and Family Programming, and Bentley Weiner, vice president, HBO Sports Documentaries. “In 2024, ‘Hard Knocks’ will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and the Chicago Bears. What a year it will be on HBO and Max for football fans everywhere.”
This won’t be the debut for the Baltimore Ravens on the “Hard Knocks” series. They were the first team featured on the original “Hard Knocks” training camp series in 2001. The Cincinnati Bengals starred in the summer show in 2009 and 2013, while the Cleveland Browns were the featured team in 2018. The Pittsburgh Steelers is the only AFC North team making its debut appearance.
“Hard Knocks” will officially be covering every part of the NFL season now, with the addition of their offseason show, “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” debuting Tuesday, July 2, and with the training camp edition, “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears,” debuting Tuesday, Aug. 6.
HBO and NFL can expect the most Baltimore eyes beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 9 p.m. when Ravens fans can add Tuesdays to Sundays and Thursdays for the days they can get their favorite football team fix.
