The ultra popular HBO’s “Hard Knocks” sports docuseries is expanding its format for this year’s in-season edition. In previous iterations just one team has been followed, however, the 2024 edition will follow all the teams in the AFC North during the regular season.
According to new reports “Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North” will cover the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The big announcement was made Monday by NFL Films and HBO.
Hard Knocks goes behind the scenes of an entire NFL division for the first time ever.#HardKnocks [1] In-Season with AFC North premieres December 3 on Max. #BaltimoreRavens [2] #CincinnatiBengals [3] #ClevelandBrowns [4] #PittsburghSteelers [5] pic.twitter.com/NdINcQUtxt [6]
— Max (@StreamOnMax) June 17, 2024 [7]
The show will premiere on Dec. 3 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and stream on Max. The season will run through the playoffs in January with new episodes debuting each Tuesday.
The AFC North was chosen for this new format because it was the only division last season where all four teams finished above .500, with three winning 10 or more games, led by the Ravens’ 13–4 record.
“Hard Knocks” began its in-season edition during the 2021 season, following the Indianapolis Colts. Subsequent seasons covered the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. In two of those three cases, the show featured a team in a playoff race.
The 2024-25 NFL campaign will feature three seasons of “Hard Knocks”: the New York Giants in the offseason, the Chicago Bears during training camp, and the AFC North teams in the in-season edition.