HBO Sports President Ken Hershman said that this season's "Hard Knocks" is "progressing well as it nears the midpoint of its five-episode run," according to David Barron of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Hershman: "The character development has been terrific. The big stars of the team have turned out to be the big stars of the first couple of episodes, and we haven't even touched the surface yet of the players trying to make the team and the more emotional stories underneath that." He added, "The reception has been great. The Twitter activity around the first episode was fantastic. It's been firing on all cylinders." NFL Senior VP/Broadcast & Media Operations COO Howard Katz said that the Texans "are primed to benefit from the exposure offered by NFL Films and HBO." Katz: "The Texans are a team that deserves more national attention. We've got to figure out ways to get teams like the Texans more traction in terms of a national audience and national appeal, and 'Hard Knocks' is a good way to do that." He added, "The demographic of 'Hard Knocks' is young and female-oriented, so we get a lot of casual fans who can become fans of the Houston Texans. ... It's not just about 'Hard Knocks' the television show, it's about 'Hard Knocks' as a vehicle to introduce more fans around the country to the Houston Texans." Meanwhile, Hershman said that he "would welcome another NFL show on HBO 'if it's the right project.'" HBO was the longtime home of "Inside the NFL" before it moved to Showtime (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/21).
