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American Sports Story

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American Sports Story
Genre
Created byStu Zicherman
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Editors
Running time42-52 Minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFX
ReleaseSeptember 17, 2024 (2024-09-17) –
present (present)
Related
American Story

American Sports Story is an American sports drama anthology series developed by Stu Zicherman, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Hernan Lopez, Marshall Lewy, Linda Pizutti Henry, and Ira Napoliello. The series serves as the fourth installment in the American Story media franchise, and is broadcast on the cable network FX.

The first season, titled American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, is focused on the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez, and premiered on September 17, 2024.[1]

Cast

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Main

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Recurring

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"If It's To Be"Carl FranklinStuart ZichermanSeptember 17, 2024 (2024-09-17)0.273[11]
2"Consequences, with Extreme Prejudice"Carl FranklinRyan FarleySeptember 17, 2024 (2024-09-17)N/A
3"Pray the Gay Away"Paris BarclayChelsey LoraSeptember 24, 2024 (2024-09-24)0.207[12]
4"Birthday Money"Paris BarclayRyan Farley & Chelsey LoraOctober 1, 2024 (2024-10-01)0.140[13]
5"The Man"Maggie KileyDomonique Foxworth & Liz TuccilloOctober 8, 2024 (2024-10-08)0.184[14]
6"Herald Street"Maggie KileyMatthew HodgsonOctober 15, 2024 (2024-10-15)0.158[15]
7"Dirty Pain"Steven CanalsLee Edward Colston IIOctober 22, 2024 (2024-10-22)0.190[16]
8"Odin"Steven CanalsHadi Nicholas DeebOctober 29, 2024 (2024-10-29)0.153[17]
9"What's Left Behind"Jennifer LynchHadi Nicholas Deeb & Stacey McCormackNovember 5, 2024 (2024-11-05)0.185[18]
10"Who Killed Aaron Hernandez?"Michael UppendahlStuart Zicherman & Tracey Scott WilsonNovember 12, 2024 (2024-11-12)0.160[19]

Production

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Development

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On August 13, 2021, it was announced that FX had ordered a new spin-off limited series American Sports Story. The series, which is based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from The Boston Globe and Wondery, focuses on the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez.[20] Specifically, the series explores the disparate strands of Hernandez's identity, his family, his career, his suicide and their legacy in sports and American culture.[21]

Casting

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By January 2023, John Landgraf stated that the series was "heading toward production" as there was a "fairly complete set of scripts" from Stu Zicherman, although no premiere date was set.[22] In November 2023, it was reported that Josh Andrés Rivera, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Lindsay Mendez, Tony Yazbeck, Jake Cannavale, and Catfish Jean had joined the cast.[2][3][6][7][9]

Filming

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Principal photography began on April 3, 2023, in Jersey City, New Jersey.[23] Filming was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike,[24] and resumed in December. Filming continued further in March 2024 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.[25]

Release

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The first season premiered with its first two episodes on FX on September 17, 2024.[26] After the two-episode premiere, the series was released one new episode weekly leading up to the finale in November.[27] New episodes of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez were made available to stream on Hulu after the 10 PM FX premiere on Tuesdays.[28]

Reception

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Streaming viewership

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American Sports Story debuted at No. 1 on Hulu’s "Top 15 Today" list on its first full day of release and remained on the list for ten consecutive days as of October 1, 2024, alongside other television series made by Ryan Murphy, including Grotesquerie and Doctor Odyssey.[29] It reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Hulu in November 2024, nearly two months after its premiere.[30]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of American Sports Story has an approval rating of 70% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. The website's critical consensus states, "American Sports Story dramatizes the tragic case of Aaron Hernandez with slick efficiency and some debatable insinuations about his motivations, with Josh Rivera's terrific performance giving the sad saga a compelling core."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 72 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32]

Impact

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American Sports Story garnered attention after a scene featuring Laith Wallschleger as Rob Gronkowski went viral on social media.[33][34] This was notably observed on "NFL Twitter," where the clip was shared by NFL writer Dov Kleiman and others.[35] The comedic exchange between Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez led to widespread sharing and commentary online.[36] Gronkowski acknowledged that Wallschleger, who serves as his body double in various projects, effectively embodied his persona in a manner that aligned with the style of the series.[37]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Petski, Denise (July 10, 2024). "FX Sets Premiere Date For Ryan Murphy's 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Otterson, Joe (November 3, 2023). "'American Sports Story' at FX Casts Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez, Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow". Variety. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (November 3, 2023). "Lindsay Mendez Joins Josh Andrés Rivera & Patrick Schwarzenegger In 'American Sports Story' Season 1". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  4. ^ Cordero, Rosy (January 23, 2024). "'American Sports Story': Jaylen Barron Cast As Aaron Hernandez's Fiancée Shayanna Jenkins". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Cordero, Rosy (February 27, 2024). "'American Sports Story' Casts Tammy Blanchard As Aaron Hernandez's Mother". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Petski, Denise (November 14, 2023). "Tony Yazbeck Joins Cast Of Ryan Murphy's 'American Sports Story' In Recurring Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Rice, Lynette (November 28, 2023). "'American Sports Story' Casts Jake Cannavale As Aaron Hernandez's Love Interest". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  8. ^ Sansoucie, Dennis (October 5, 2024). "Dennis Sansoucie Relationship With Aaron Hernandez & What Happened To Him After American Sports Story". Screenrant.
  9. ^ a b Petski, Denise (November 28, 2023). "'American Sports Story': Catfish Jean Joins Cast As Aaron Hernandez's Friend Ernest "Bo" Wallace". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Bibby, Daniel (October 5, 2024). "American Sports Story Gives This Actor His NFL Debut 8 Years After He Left Football". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 18, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Decent Debut for 'High Potential' on ABC Following Solid 'Dancing with the Stars' 33rd Premiere". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Pucci, Douglas (September 25, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: NBC Leads in Viewers with 'America's Got Talent' Season Finale, 'Dancing with the Stars' on ABC Builds in Demos from Season Premiere". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  13. ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 2, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: CBS-Produced Vice Presidential Debate Attracts 43.2 Million Viewers". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 9, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: 'The Irrational' Returns Okay for NBC, Airing Out of 'The Voice' the Most-Watched Telecast in Prime Time". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 16, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: New York Yankees Propel TBS to Top 'FBI'-Fueled CBS in Total Viewers and Win Prime Time in Most Key Figures". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  16. ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: TNT Leads Prime Time Demos with NBA Season Tip-Off Doubleheader". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  17. ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 30, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: MLB World Series Ascends in Game 4 for Fox". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  18. ^ Pucci, Douglas (November 6, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Election Night Coverage Led by Fox News, MSNBC and ABC". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Pucci, Douglas (November 13, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: NBC Comedy 'St. Denis Medical' Delivers Solid Demos in Debut". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  20. ^ Petski, Denise (August 13, 2021). "'FX Orders 'American Sports Story' & 'American Love Story' Spinoffs From Ryan Murphy". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  21. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 13, 2021). "Ryan Murphy Sets 'American Sports Story,' 'American Love Story' Anthologies at FX". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 12, 2023). "Ryan Murphy's 'American Sports Story' At FX Heading Toward Production – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  23. ^ "Gladiator: American Sports Story Production List". Film & Television Industry Alliance. February 20, 2023. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  24. ^ "Which Popular Shows, Movies Will Be Shut Down First by Actors' Strike? (List)". OregonLive. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  25. ^ Gibson, Kelsie (August 14, 2024). "American Sports Story: All About the Ryan Murphy Show About Aaron Hernandez". People. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  26. ^ Obias, Rudie (September 17, 2024). "How to Watch 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' Online Without Cable". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  27. ^ Schremph, Kelly (September 16, 2024). "'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  28. ^ MacArthur, Greg (September 17, 2024). "What Time American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez Releases On FX & Hulu". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  29. ^ Cobb, Kayla (October 1, 2024). "Ryan Murphy Reflects on the Success, Discourse and 'Daunting Task' of Dominating Fall TV". TheWrap. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  30. ^ Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah (November 10, 2024). "Ryan Murphy's New Sports Crime Series With 74% Rotten Tomatoes Score Becomes Streaming Hit". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  31. ^ "American Sports Story: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  32. ^ "American Sports Story: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  33. ^ Bibby, Daniel (October 14, 2024). "American Sports Story Couldn't Resist Turning Into A Comedy With Rob Gronkowski's Appearance". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  34. ^ Rosenstein, Greg (October 18, 2024). "Being Gronk: How this actor and stunt double plays the NFL legend on screen". NBC News. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  35. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (October 11, 2024). "Rob Gronkowski Reacts to Unhinged Viral Clip of 'American Sports Story' Actor Who Plays Him". IndieWire. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  36. ^ Garcia, Andrew (October 10, 2024). "Twitter reacts to Rob Gronkowski's comments about 'American Sports Story'". Touchdown Wire. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  37. ^ Ryan, Conor (October 11, 2024). "Gronkowski weighs in on his portrayal in Aaron Hernandez show". Boston.com. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
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