Even media companies that are not directly tied to sports are trying to get into sports content.
The latest example is AMC, the cable network best known for breakout shows like The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. As sports fans continue to make up a larger portion of the pay TV bundle, entertainment-focused networks like AMC are trying to capture a slice of the pie.
That doesn’t mean bidding on big-ticket sports rights, but rather producing complimentary programming sports fans might be interested in.
“We know we’re not going to be buying any of the major sports leagues, but we can tap into that audience,” AMC chief content officer Dan McDermott told Variety.
This week, AMC announced Rise of the Saints, a docuseries following the New Orleans Saints in the years following Hurricane Katrina. It will be the newest installment in AMC’s Rise series and is scheduled to premiere in February 2027.
From heartbreak to history. ⚜️ Through rare, never-before-seen footage and interviews with Saints legends, this is the story of how a football team helped New Orleans find hope, resilience, and belief after Hurricane Katrina.
#RiseoftheSaints, a new installment of the ‘Rise’… pic.twitter.com/zeS2FwdzEK— AMC TV (@AMC_TV) April 30, 2026
In addition to the upcoming Saints docuseries, AMC has greenlit Thunder Road, a new scripted series produced in partnership with NASCAR.
It’s not AMC’s first dive into sports content, but it seems to be the start of a concerted effort in the space. Recently, AMC signed a deal with TNA Wrestling, a competitor to WWE and AEW. The network previously debuted Rise of the 49ers earlier this year.
Expensive media rights are “not our market,” AMC chief commercial officer Kim Kelleher told Variety, “but telling the stories behind those great seminal moments, that is laser-focused for us.”
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.