Hard Knocks 2022 will star the Detroit Lions. Here's what to know

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It looks like it’s the Lions' turn for the spotlight.

HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Lions are joining forces for “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Detroit Lions” beginning Aug. 9. This summer, the Detroit Lions will be featured for the first time on the hit HBO series.

NFL’s Brian McCarthy tweeted: 

The series will feature an unfiltered and uncensored, all-access look at what an NFL team’s preseason and training camp consists of. Through a series of weekly episodes, HBO will shine light on what it takes to be a Detroit Lion.

Footage will be taken straight from the Lions’ training camp in Allen Park, Michigan, focusing on the daily escapades of the players and coaches – observing meeting rooms, training rooms, living quarters and practice fields. The NFL Films crew will consist of 30 members and more than 1,750 hours of footage will be collected over the course of the series. 

Focus will not only be drawn in on the motley crew of emerging stars, free agent newbies, young rookies and accomplished veterans. The series will shine lots of light on coach Dan Campbell, who is entering his second season with the team. 

HBO generally selects the teams that will be featured in the series, and the pool of teams they can choose from each season usually amounts to the following criteria: no teams with first-year head coaches, no teams who made the playoffs the last two seasons and no teams that have been featured on the series in the last 10 years.

This marks the 17th edition of the 18-time Sports Emmy-winning series after airing 82 episodes in 16 seasons so far. American actor, screenwriter, producer and director Liev Schreiber will be narrating the series for the 16th time.

“We are excited about the opportunity to showcase the City of Detroit and the amazing culture we are building at the Lions,” said Detroit Lions Team President and CEO Rod Wood. “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.”

The five-episode season debuts on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. ET. The series will also contain additional hour-long episodes on certain Tuesdays, all building up to the Sept. 6 season finale. The sports-based reality series will be accessible on HBO Max and aired on HBO. 

NFL Films Vice President and Senior Coordinating Producer Ken Rodgers expressed his excitement for the upcoming season. “As Hard Knocks enter its third decade inside NFL training camps, we are both thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to feature a historic franchise like the Lions,” he said. “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.”

As the first ever sports-based reality series and one of the fastest-turnaround programs on TV, the 17th edition of Hard Knocks is expected to be the highlight of football fans’ summers.

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