The popular docuseries ‘America’s Sweethearts: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ has been renewed for a second season on Netflix.
The docuseries’ first season, which chronicled the unfiltered lives of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on and off the field, left audiences stunned — or at least trying to learn the choreography of DCC’s signature pregame routine.
Directed by Emmy winner Greg Whitley (“Cheer,” “Last Chance U”), “America’s Sweethearts” debuted on June 20 and launched into Netflix’s global top 10 with 2.3 million views in its first four days on the platform. The series remained in the top 10 US TV shows for five consecutive weeks and reached the top 10 in 27 countries. The ‘Thunderstruck’ song became a viral TikTok dance trend (10,000 videos have used the sound) with thousands of people shaking their poms – although fewer attempted the high-flying jump split, earning the ‘oft imitated, never equaled’ status team further proved.
Season 1 followed the 2023-24 DCC crew, led by program director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell with “main characters” including veterans Kelcey Wetterberg and Victoria Kalina (who appeared on the long-running reality series “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team”) and attractive rookies like Reece Weaver, who takes center stage in the announcement teaser. Season 2 follows the 2024-2025 roster from start to finish, starting with auditions and training camps and continuing through the current NFL season.
In an interview with Variety Shortly after the series debuted, Whiteley reflected on his team’s efforts to capture the “human element” of the cheerleaders’ experiences. His goal was to wipe away some of the facade to reveal the real people beneath the perfection – from the blood, sweat, tears and injuries the cheerleaders endure to the emotional weight of navigating overzealous fans and stalkers and earning controversially low wages.
“The problem is they spend so much time hiding how hard it is. They take something that is extremely difficult and make it look graceful and effortless, so you turn it down,” Whiteley said. ‘They run a few hundred meters, in boots, in two and a half minutes, with a smile, and somehow they don’t sweat! … And people think they’re just going to wake up, roll out of bed and do it.”
Whiteley hoped they would return for Season 2. “Our last two or three weeks of filming were just starting to get going,” he said. “I would like to have more time to see if we can go deeper and deeper with more and more team members.”
The series “America’s Sweethearts” also continues Netflix’s ongoing relationship with the Dallas Cowboys. Another docuseries is in the works that explores the history of the football team and their owner Jerry Jones, plus the streamer’s highly anticipated live boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will be held at AT&T Stadium, home of the Cowboys, on November 1. 15.
“America’s Sweethearts” is produced by One Potato Productions and Boardwalk Pictures in association with Campfire Studios. Whiteley produces with Adam Leibowitz for One Potato Productions; as well as Andrew Fried and Dane Lillegard (of Boardwalk Pictures); and Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans (of Campfire Studios).