'Hard Knocks' Renewed for Long-Term Contract

Hard Knocks, the NFL's yearly behind-the-scenes look at an NFL team during training camp, will remain on HBO after NFL Media, NFL Films and HBO Sports announced on Monday in a press release that they had come to terms on a long-term contract extension to continue the show.

According to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, the show was renewed on HBO for four years.

"HBO is really the perfect home for Hard Knocks, and we couldn’t be happier to continue our partnership with them around this award-winning franchise," said NFL Films senior executive Ross Ketover. 

Hard Knocks has aired for 11 seasons, with the most recent season in the documentary series following the Los Angeles Rams in their first season in a new city after relocating from St. Louis.

Other teams profiled on the series include the Baltimore Ravens (2001), Dallas Cowboys (2002, 2008), Kansas City Chiefs (2007), Cincinnati Bengals (2009, 2013), New York Jets (2010), Miami Dolphins (2012), Atlanta Falcons (2014) and Houston Texans (2015).

The program isn't necessarily popular with the league's coaches and players, however, with many considering it a distraction.

"Oh, my God. I’m not interested in that," Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson said of the show in February, per Jordan Heck of the Sporting News. "I’m interested in just coaching our team and getting our team better."

After no teams volunteered for the program in 2011, however, the NFL mandated that teams could only turn down the show if they were on it in the past 10 years, had made the postseason once in the past two seasons or had just hired a new head coach.