Rick Kern/Esquire Network
The docuseries will return for seasons four and two, respectively.
Esquire Network is heading back to the football field.
The NBCUniversal cabler has renewed docuseries Friday Night Tykes and its spinoff, Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The upcoming fourth season of Friday Night Tykes will bring the show back to Texas and examine the 10, 11 and 12-year-old divisions of some of the most competitive youth football leagues in the country. The 10 new episodes will follow multiple teams and multiple communities in and around San Antonio exploring coaching, parenting, mentoring styles and techniques.
The sophomore season of Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country will run for eight episodes and center on the working class communities of Western Pennsylvania, home to NFL greats including Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Mike Ditka. Once the backbone of industrial America, these struggling towns connect culturally and emotionally through youth football.
Friday Night Tykes and Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country are produced by 441 Productions, Texas Crew Productions and Electro-Fish Films for Esquire Network. 441 Productions' Matt Maranz, Gabe Honig and Andrew Morreale exec-produce along with Texas Crew Productions' Terry Stewart and David Karabinas, as well as Cile Spelce and Chris Elley for Electro-Fish Films.
“Esquire Network is thrilled to continue documenting the story of youth football in Texas and Western Pennsylvania,” Esquire Network evp of development and production Matt Hanna said. “The pursuit of success for these families, coaches, and kids make for compelling and occasionally controversial television. We’re excited to see where the journey takes us next.”
The renewals come as no surprise. Friday Night Tykes continues to rank as Esquire's top original series among adults 18-49. Esquire Network is coming off of its second most-watched quarter ever among total viewers in 2016.
In addition to unscripted series such as Knife Fight and Brew Dogs, Esquire has followed its fellow NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment networks into scripted programming with Spotless as well as ITV's Beowulf.
