CINCINNATI — For the first time ever, HBO's documentary series "Hard Knocks" is aiming to encompass an entire NFL division within one season, starting with the AFC North — and Cincinnati's beloved Bengals.
The new season, titled "Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North," will debut on December 3 at 9 p.m. on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. Episodes will be released every Tuesday through the end of the NFL regular season and into the playoffs in January.
The documentary series will feature teams in the division battling for the AFC North crown during the final six weeks of the NFL season.
"Last season, the AFC North because the first division (since 1935) to have all four teams finish with a winning record, making it the perfect place to launch this new approach to Hard Knocks," said Keith Cossrow, vice president and head of content for NFL Films.
It's not the first time the Cincinnati Bengals have appeared on the HBO series; Bengals players have starred in the summer show in both 2009 and 2013.
"We don't think — we know — this is the best division in football," said Zac Taylor, Bengals head coach. "I understand why it's an attractive pick for Hard Knocks and it's an honor to be part of a division that people think so highly of. We have an exciting team with a lot of really talented players and good team guys. They are players that the league is excited about, so this exposure is a positive."
Of course, the season will feature the whole division and not just the Bengals. Although fans in Cincinnati may boo about it, the season will also showcase our bitterest rivals too: The Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The new format announcement for the Hard Knocks series comes one month after it was announced the show would also cover the NFL offseason, starting with the New York Giants and ChicagoBears, which will debut at the start of July.
