This year's series of HBO's “Hard Knocks” kicked off on Tuesday evening with the Oakland Raiders. The first episode drew 879,000 viewers, which is the second-highest premiere for the show in the past nine seasons, according to the premium cable network.
The Raiders were chosen to grace the big screen earlier this summer as the next team to take part in “Hard Knocks.” Fans were excited to see the Raiders on the show as they have a few characters on the team that make them must-watch television.
This offseason, Oakland traded for Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers after the receiver became disgruntled with Pittsburgh. Then, the Raiders also added Vontaze Burfict and Richie Incognito to the roster. Add that with former broadcaster Jon Gruden and you have a recipe for enticing entertainment.
The first episode may have been a success but the show could see a slight dip in viewership if Brown fails to return to practice soon. The All-Pro wideout has been dealing with issues with his feet, causing him to miss practices in training camp.
A ton of viewers are tuning in to watch Brown and how he adjusts to playing for his new team. So far, business hasn't been boomin' in Oakland for the former Steelers wide receiver.
The first episode of Hard Knock was pretty uneventful with the scenes sparingly showing a behind-the-scenes look into the locker room or training rooms. The speech by Gruden stole the show as he talked about how he's “more into nightmares.”
Hopefully, for fans around the globe, this season of “Hard Knocks” begins to pick up and provide the viewers with more entertainment moving forward.
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