HBO to Tackle Houston Texans in 'Hard Knocks'

HBO will profile The Houston Texans this summer in the 10th season of its sports documentary series Hard Knocks, the network said Wednesday.

HBO will follow the Texans, which finished last season with a 9-7 record, as the team trains for the 2015 NFL season. The five-episode series will debut Aug. 11, culminating with a Sept. 8 season finale right on the heels of the start of the NFL season.

“We are thrilled that the tenth edition of Hard Knocks will spotlight a team in a division that we have not featured previously on HBO,” says Ken Hershman, president, HBO Sports in a statement. “The series has become a summertime destination for TV viewers, and we can’t wait for the premiere on August 11.”

The Texans join previous Hard Knocks featured teams including the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals (twice), Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys (twice), Kanas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Dolphins.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.