“Hard Knocks” fans are being treated to not one, not two, but three editions of the show in 2024.
The NFL announced the release of “Hard Knocks: In Season” will feature an entire division, the AFC North, in the 2024 edition of the show. The decision to highlight all four teams comes after the Ravens, Browns, Steelers and Bengals made NFL history in 2023 as the first division to have all four teams finish with a winning record.
“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,” NFL Films vice president and head of content Keith Cossrow said in a release.
This will be the third edition of “Hard Knocks” to air during the calendar year, joining “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” which will begin on July 2, and “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears,” which will begin on Aug. 6.
Here’s what you need to know about the new show.
What is ‘Hard Knocks: In-Season’?
“Hard Knocks: In-Season” is a newer edition of the HBO/Max show “Hard Knocks.” The “In-Season” edition is filmed throughout a team’s regular season. Past teams for this edition have been the Colts (2021), Cardinals (2022) and Dolphins (2023).
In the past, the show has exclusively focused on the buildup to the start of the season. However, 2021 marked the first time that changed, with the Colts being the center of HBO’s attention. The Ravens, Bengals and Browns have each appeared on the edition of the show that focused solely on the preseason.
Baltimore was the first team ever covered by “Hard Knocks,” when it appeared in the 2001 edition. The Bengals were featured in both 2009 and 2013, while the Browns first appeared in 2018. The Steelers have never been on “Hard Knocks.”
HBO will now have editions of the show that cover every aspect of the NFL calendar, with the Giants being in the offseason, the Bears in the preseason and the AFC North through the entire campaign.
“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 the release. “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.”
‘Hard Knocks: In-Season’ release date
The show will debut Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 9 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on HBO with streaming options on HBO’s streaming platform, Max.
It will then run through the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.
‘Hard Knocks: In-Season’ trailer
There has been no trailer released yet for the upcoming edition of “Hard Knocks: In-Season.”