The Detroit Lions will be in the spotlight this summer. HBO and NFL Films have chosen the NFC North franchise as the focus of the next edition of Hard Knocks. The team made the announcement on Twitter on Monday morning.
“We are excited about the opportunity to showcase the City of Detroit and the amazing culture we are building at the Lions,” Detroit Lions President and CEO, Rod Wood, said in a post on the team’s website. “HBO Sports and NFL Films are the best of the best and we know they will be excellent partners in sharing our story with football fans around the world.”
NFL Films will send a 30-person crew to Allen Park, MI where the Lions hold training camp. They are expected to shoot more than 1700 hours of footage with full access to players and coaches on the field, in meeting rooms, and in their living quarters.
This will be the 17th season for Hard Knocks. The production began in 2001, following the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens. It followed the Dallas Cowboys the next season and then went on a four-year hiatus before coming back with another season following the Cowboys in 2007. The show has won 18 Sports Emmys.
“As Hard Knocks enters its third decade inside NFL training camps, we are both thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to feature a historic franchise like the Lions,” said NFL Films Vice President and Senior Coordinating Producer, Ken Rodgers. “The city, the culture and the coaching staff in Detroit all have an exciting energy that will make the show must-watch television this summer.”
