Details are set for the 15th season of Hard Knocks on HBO. It will be a decidedly Hollywood affair in 2020, as the long rumored two-team season has been confirmed. Fans will get a behind the scenes look at training camp for both the Rams and the Chargers.
The five-episode season will kick off on August 11. It will be the 15th for the show.
It will also be the start of a new deal for HBO and NFL Films. CNBC reports WarnerMedia and the NFL have signed a four year deal to keep the series as an exclusive for HBO.
“NFL Films cherishes the relationship we’ve had with HBO for over four decades, and specifically with the Hard Knocks franchise since 2001,” Ross Ketover said. “To be able to announce this extension as we embark on an unprecedented two-team series this summer brings us incredible pride and only heightens our excitement for the return of football.”
There is much still to be decided, not just for the two teams participating in this season of Hard Knocks, but for the NFL preseason in general. Safety protocols and other details are still being discussed between the league and players union as a 2020 season is set to be played under the specter of Covid-19.
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn was the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets when the team was featured on the show in 2010. He said that he would rely on that experience to make sure the Chargers make the most of their time on camera.
“There’s a reason that season was probably the most popular Hard Knocks ever. If you’re going to do a show, do it right,” he said. “You can’t fake it. We didn’t have a problem providing access because we built a relationship with the crew. There was a mutual trust that exists to this day with those people, and many of them will actually be working on this year’s show. Broadcasting your internal business all over the world isn’t something you regularly want to do, but in a year with as many challenges as this one has had, I’m glad we can be part of bringing football back to the fans this summer.”
