It’s incredible but true: HBO’s Hard Knocks series has never featured the Oakland Raiders in its 14-year run history. That changes on Tuesday, Aug. 6, as Hard Knocks: Training with the Oakland Raiders makes its HBO debut. It’s going to be an interesting year for the Raiders, and their last in Oakland as they prepare to move to Las Vegas. The show, which debuted in 2001 has won multiple Sports Emmy Awards for its unflinching look at NFL training camps, is going to have quite a bit to cover with this storied franchise.
Jon Gruden, who made his reputation with the Raiders from 1998 to 2001 as their head coach, returned in 2018 after coaching with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven years and then transitioning to broadcasting, becoming a well-known ESPN football commentator for nearly a decade.
The Raiders are coming off a lackluster 4-12 season in 2018; they were the first AFC team to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2019 NFL draft, they had four picks in the top 40 slots, grabbing Clemson DE Clelin Farrell, Alabama RB Josh Jacobs, and Mississippi State S Johnathan Abram with their first-round picks.
It’ll be dramatic and zany with Gruden at the helm. Here’s everything you need to know to stream Hard Knocks.
How to stream Hard Knocks: Training with the Oakland Raiders
The show premieres Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 10pm ET and PT; it then runs each subsequent Tuesday until the Sept. 3 finale, with encore viewings on Wednesday for what ran the day before. Each service below offers a one-week trial.
1) Amazon Prime Video with HBO
- Cost: $14.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial) for HBO | $119 per year for Prime
- Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone; Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii
If you’re already on Team Prime, Amazon Prime Video is one of the best ways to access a free HBO trial without signing up for additional accounts. (Even if you’re not, you can sign up a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial in addition to the HBO free week.) HBO is available as a standalone Prime channel for purchase on Amazon Prime Video if you decide you like the free trial and you’re ready to commit.
2) HBO Now
- Cost: $14.99 per month (after 7-day free trial)
- Devices: Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Cube, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Do you want just HBO? You’re in luck with HBO Now, which is HBO’s standalone streaming service, which provides an extensive library of all HBO shows, movies, documentaries, and other offerings, including HBO’s forays into sports.
3) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial) | $14.99 per month for HBO
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes plenty of sports programming among its offerings, including the ESPN networks, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. HBO is an additional $14.99 per month. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
4) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial) | $14.99 per month for HBO
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
PlayStation Vue is a fantastic option for soccer fans who already own a PlayStation console, but this streaming platform is available on a variety of devices. ESPN and ESPN2 are part of the Core package of channels, and the options for more sports increase at the Elite and Ultra levels. HBO, where Hard Knocks can be found, is available through the streaming service as a premium channel.
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