Netflix is continuing to penetrate in the sports documentary space, agreeing to work with Skydance Sports and NFL Films in association with Stardust Frames Productions on a new project. The venture will explore the career of Jerry Jones, owner, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and how he has transformed the franchise since purchasing the team in 1989.
Jones helped catapult the Cowboys into a championship organization, attaining three Super Bowl titles in four years during the 1990s. Throughout his time at the helm of the organization, he has made an indelible impact in the sports landscape and crafted the Cowboys into the most valuable NFL franchise. Forbes projects the Cowboys to be worth $9 billion with revenue of $1.14 billion and operating income of $504 million prior to the 2023 NFL season.
This 10-episode series will look at the Cowboys by revealing exclusive footage surrounding the team and interviews with Jones himself. Other key figures surrounding the organization are also a part of the documentary series, including Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders and Emmitt Smith, along with head coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Former U.S. President George W. Bush and Nike founder Phil Knight are featured among the interviewees outside of the organization in the project.
The series will be produced by Skydance Sports in association with NFL Films and Stardust Frames Productions. Executive producers on the project are David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ross Ketover, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Keith Cossrow and John Skipper. Chapman Way and Maclain Way are also executive producers as well as the directors of the production. This follows the recent announcement of a Netflix documentary pertaining to the history of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, along with a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul streaming live on the platform.
Launch dates for the projects have yet to be announced by Netflix, who made the announcement of the docuseries surrounding Jones and the Cowboys at its 2024 Upfront in New York City, during which it also revealed additional sports-related projects. The company will produce three docuseries in partnership with the International Olympic Committee pertaining to Olympic track athletes, U.S. gymnast Simone Biles and the U.S. men’s basketball team.
The docuseries regarding Olympic track athletes is titled Sprint and will premiere on July 1 featuring top sprinters including Shericka Jackson, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson. Additionally, the docuseries on Biles, titled Simone Biles: Rising, will debut before the start of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and consist of four 45-minute episodes. The basketball series will debut in early 2025 and contain six episodes, each of which will be 45 minutes in duration. Netflix also announced production of a Happy Gilmore sequel with Adam Sandler and a new basketball comedy sitcom Running Point featuring Kate Hudson, Scott MacArthur and Drew Tarver.
