Netflix debuts America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, a docuseries detailing the 2023-2024 cheer squad from beginning to end, June 20. There are seven episodes that run for 45 minutes apiece.
Greg Whiteley directs.
The series “will give viewers unfiltered access into this iconic team and franchise,” according to Netflix. “Led by longtime director Kelli Finglass, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders open their doors to document the personal stories behind the uniforms – revealing the drive, hustle, and drama among the cheerleaders and coaches. For many, it’s a dream to make the team -- but that’s only just the beginning.”
Whiteley executive produces with Adam Leibowitz of One Potato Productions, Andrew Fried and Dane Lillegard of Boardwalk Pictures, and Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans of Campfire Studios.
One Potato Productions and Boardwalk Pictures produce in association with Campfire Studios. One Potato also produces Netflix series Last Chance U, Cheer and Wrestlers.
When the series was announced, Charlotte Jones, Dallas Cowboys executive VP/chief brand officer and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders president, said, “We’re thrilled to see the results of a season spent with Greg Whiteley and a remarkable crew following every step of the way. The storytelling through this open access will captivate viewers episode after episode and Netflix’s global stage is the perfect platform to showcase it.”
In an interview with Netflix, Whiteley said Jones approached him about the project, and he was hesitant. “To be honest, I was resistant at first. I didn't know Charlotte very well, but I knew the Cowboys were a very large brand and that they were going to be protective of it,” he said. “I wasn’t sure the relationship would be conducive to the kind of work that we're accustomed to doing as a documentary film crew where we come in, we're given access, and we also retain all creative control.”
Whiteley flew to Dallas and had lunch with Jones, daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “She answered all my questions, I answered all of hers, and we both left that meeting with a lot to think about,” he said. “Ultimately when she agreed to granting the access that we needed and the creative control that we require, it was really a no-brainer.”
It is not the first series focused on the Dallas cheerleaders. CMT ran Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team for 16 seasons, wrapping in 2022.
The Netflix series got mostly negative reviews. Time Magazine called it “infuriating.”
The Hollywood Reporter said, “Whiteley’s previous shows have all felt like they were stories that he and his crew needed to tell. America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders feels like a story that Netflix, aggressively diving into bed with both the Cowboys — a 10-part series about the Jerry Jones glory years is coming soon — and the NFL, wanted told.”
