Hard Knocks is a reality sports documentary television series produced by NFL Films and HBO.The show was first broadcast in 2001, and the current 2022 season is the 17th and 18th. Each season, it follows a National Football League (NFL) team through its training camp and covers the team's preparation for the upcoming football season. Starting with the 2021 season there will be an in season version of Hard Knocks following a different team than the training camp version. The NFL and HBO have called Hard Knocks "the first sports-based reality series" in television history.