The Oakland Raiders’ final preseason in the Bay Area before the team moves here will receive the "Hard Knocks" treatment.
The team announced the five-episode HBO Sports series season today in a news release. “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Oakland Raiders” premieres on Aug. 6.
A 30-person camera crew will follow the coaching staff and players, focusing on their daily lives, through training camp and preseason play. Hundreds of hours of film will chronicle practices, team meetings, and feature players fighting for roster spots.
A likely storyline could portray how the team progresses during a lame-duck transition year before leaving Oakland for Las Vegas.
“Everybody wants to be a Raider," said team owner Mark Davis in the release. “Now they’ll find out what it takes to become one.”
“If you’re a fan of football or great storytelling, ('Hard Knocks') with the Oakland Raiders is going to be must-see television,” said Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports, in the release. “We are so grateful to this storied franchise for opening up its doors and allowing HBO and NFL Films to spend the summer with the Raiders in what promises to be a compelling and engaging training camp.”
Each episode, the past few seasons, has been seen by an average of about 4 million viewers.