'Hard Knocks' to feature all AFC North teams in season

The Pittsburgh Steelers will make their "Hard Knocks" debut as HBO's sports documentary series for the first time chronicles an entire division this coming season.

"Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North" will debut at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 3 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will premiere on subsequent Tuesdays through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs in January.

Cameras will be trained on the Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens -- featured in the original "Hard Knocks" training camp series in 2001 -- Cincinnati Bengals (2009, 2013) and Cleveland Browns (2018).

"Last season the AFC North became the first division ever to have all four teams finish with a winning record, making it the perfect place to launch this new approach to ‘Hard Knocks,'" Keith Cossrow, NFL Films vice president and head of content, said in a statement on Monday. "We thank the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers for the opportunity to showcase some of the greatest rivalries in football and present the intensity of a playoff chase from all four corners of this incredibly competitive division."

The AFC North has star power at quarterback -- always a high-profile position -- with two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson of Baltimore, Joe Burrow of Cincinnati, Deshaun Watson of Cleveland and veteran Russell Wilson, who joined the Steelers in the offseason and faces competition from another newcomer in former Chicago Bears starter Justin Fields.

The series has expanded to three versions this season. A five-week run of a new spinoff endeavor, "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants," will debut on July 2, followed by training camp coverage of another franchise making its debut, the Chicago Bears, for five weekly episodes of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears" from Aug. 6 through Sept. 3.

--Field Level Media REUTERS