"Never been seen before" - America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys director Chapman details unseen moments from NFL Films archive

The new Netflix docuseries America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys highlights unseen archival footage from NFL Films covering the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s. In an interview with Sports Business Journal a day before its premiere on August 19, 2025, director Chapman Way emphasized the unique access given for the project, noting,

“There are just thousands of hours of pristinely and beautifully shot, 16-millimeter footage. A lot of it had never been seen before.”

The series, combined with interviews from key figures of the era, forms the foundation of the eight-part series set to premiere on the streaming platform.

Inside the making of America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys

Partnership with Netflix and Skydance

Netflix secured the rights to the project for about $50 million, surpassing ESPN’s bid. The Way brothers, Chapman and Maclain, who previously directed several Netflix sports documentaries, were approached directly for this project.

As Maclain Way explained, this marked the “first time” Netflix reached out to them with access to such material. He added that the archival material and subject matter made them fully commit:

“When we really started to dive into this early ’90s Dallas Cowboys -- the ups, the downs, the controversies, all the archival footage that came along with the project -- that’s when we jumped in full bore.”

The series is also tied to the NFL’s collaboration with Skydance Sports. NFL Films provided footage and consultation, while Skydance oversaw the production partnership.

According to Keith Cossrow of NFL Films, the Jones family wanted the project to feature a different “storytelling voice.”

From the perspective of the directors, Skydance’s involvement offered both flexibility and support. Maclain Way explained that they were given freedom to handle the creative process, but when challenges arose, Skydance stepped in to assist whenever needed.

Central role of Jerry Jones

The series devotes significant attention to Jerry Jones, owner and general manager of the Cowboys. Over 40 hours of interviews were conducted with him, according to the directors.

Chapman Way explained that while some parts of the documentary were more difficult for Jones to watch than others, it was expected, given the scope of an eight-part series chronicling his life.

He noted that Jones was very supportive throughout the process, and emphasized that there were no questions considered “off the table.”

Jones himself reflected on revisiting his tenure with the Cowboys. In an interview with SBJ’s Ben Fischer, he described the series as "a painful reminder" at times. He continued,

“There were so many things that had gotten dim, or things I hadn’t reflected on in years. And it was an emotional experience for me, to not only see what these guys said, but then use that to roll back and remember an extended experience I had with them.”

Audience expectations on Netflix

Given the Cowboys’ broad national following, expectations for viewership are significant. Comparisons have been drawn with recent sports documentaries on Netflix.

The docuseries Mr. McMahon reached 13.5 million views in late 2024, while Simone Biles: Rising had 12.5 million in the same period. America’s Sweethearts, which followed the Cowboys cheerleaders, gathered 9.6 million views.

The new project enters the platform against other football content. Receiver logged 7.5 million views in 2024, and currently, Any Given Saturday and Season 2 of Quarterback are competing for sports audiences. The performance of America’s Team will indicate how prominently NFL-based docuseries can rank among Netflix’s sports catalog.

Stay tuned for more updates.