HBO cameras are heading to Foxborough next year.
For the first time in franchise history, the New England Patriots will be featured on HBO’s long-running football documentary series “Hard Knocks” in 2027.
The team that defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks, will be showcased on “Hard Knocks” ahead of the 2026 season.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report the news of both the Seahawks and Patriots’ starring roles on the HBO series over the next two years.
“Hard Knocks” follows one NFL team during training camp as they ramp up and embrace the grind of a new season. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills were featured last season.
While “Hard Knocks” has been broadcast since 2001, the Patriots have avoided the behind-the-scenes treatment over the years because of several broadcast rules that have been adjusted as of late.
During the Patriots’ two-decade run of dominance under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, teams could turn down a starring role on “Hard Knocks” if they made the playoffs during the prior year.
Belichick — not exactly privy to bringing in unwanted attention and distractions at the outset of a new season — was quick to shut down any chance of HBO cameras setting up shop at Gillette Stadium.
The NFL tweaked those eligibility rules in recent years to make playoff teams more compliant for a featured spot on “Hard Knocks,” while also preventing teams that have a first-year head coach from getting the spotlight put on them.
As such, the Patriots were ineligible for “Hard Knocks” the last two seasons following the appointment of Jerod Mayo and Mike Vrabel in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
The Patriots will have plenty of publicity over the next few seasons, especially after Vrabel and second-year QB Drake Maye led New England to an unexpected run to Super Bowl LX this past season.