HBO’s acclaimed docuseries “Hard Knocks” is back, but this time with a fresh twist. For the first time, the series will follow an entire division, detailing the battle for the AFC North crown and then following these teams throughout the postseason.
“Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North” will provide an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions. Here’s everything you need to know about the show.
How To Watch “Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North”
The series premieres tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
New episodes will drop every Tuesday through January 2025, with the series continuing to follow the AFC North teams throughout the NFL playoffs.
Fans can watch the series live on HBO if they have access to the network through their cable or satellite provider. For those who prefer streaming, the new edition of “Hard Knocks” will also be available on Max.
How Much Is Max?
If you want to purchase a Max plan, here are the various options:
- With Ads: $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year
- Ad-Free Plan: $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year
- Ultimate Ad-Free Plan: $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year.
The Ultimate Ad-Free plan allows you to stream on twice as many devices at once (four), stream in 4K UHD, and have 100 downloads to watch on the go.
Also, it’s worth noting that there is a Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle that is $16.99 per month with ads or $29.99 per month without ads.
‘Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North’ Trailer
Here is the description of the new season: “‘Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North'” will document the battle for the AFC North crown during the final six weeks of the NFL season, as well as a playoff run for the division-winner and any AFC North Wild Card teams.” Check out a preview of the new season below:
A brand new era of Hard Knocks starts tonight.#HardKnocks In Season with the AFC North premieres Tuesday at 9pm ET on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/yULQaBGlgL
— NFL (@NFL) December 3, 2024
Current AFC North Playoff Picture
The weather’s getting cold in the Midwest, but the AFC North playoff race is heating up.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are battling for the AFC North crown. Both teams are virtual locks to make the playoffs, but who does PFN’s Playoff Predictor project to win the division? Our model currently gives the Steelers (65.6% odds) the edge over the Ravens (34.2%).
Pittsburgh got a big boost and gained a full game on Baltimore by beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13, while the Ravens lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. With a 1.5-game lead over the Ravens, even if Pittsburgh loses the rematch to Baltimore in Week 16, Mike Tomlin’s team controls its own destiny for the division if it can sweep the other four games.
However, Pittsburgh has the NFL’s eighth-hardest remaining schedule (vs. Browns, at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals). Meanwhile, the Ravens have the 12th-easiest remaining schedule (BYE, at Giants, vs. Steelers, at Texans, vs. Browns).
For the Bengals, it’s Wild Card or bust. But even that may be a stretch, as they enter Week 14 with just a 4.6% chance of making the playoffs, according to PFN’s simulator.
One thing working against the Bengals is that they’re the only AFC team still in the playoff hunt with six conference losses. The teams currently in the three Wild Card spots — the Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos — have four, three, and four, respectively.
Latest AFC North Standings
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
- Cleveland Browns (3-9)