Peyton Manning shares how he's winning in Hollywood by appealing to Middle America
Peyton Manning is becoming a Hollywood star, without becoming "Hollywood."
When the Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion created Omaha Productions, making shows about sports was a given. But Manning's TV company is now diversifying its slate away from the field.
"I like history. I love country music. I have great appreciation for the military," Manning said in a recent interview with Business Insider. "And so we've tried to do things that at least have some sort of authentic connection to that."
Manning founded his TV production firm in 2020 with former Fox Sports executive Jamie Horowitz, and it's been a hit so far.
Omaha was valued at over $750 million by an investment round this spring spearheaded by former Endeavor executive Patrick Whitesell. Manning's company has also secured a first-look deal with Disney's 20th Television after creating the buzzy "ManningCast" starring Peyton and his brother Eli, as well as a slew of sports docuseries for Netflix: "Quarterback," "Receiver," and "Starting Five."
Manning told BI that there's no one-size-fits-all definition of an Omaha show. But there are a few common threads: shows that are "uplifting and unifying" and related to Manning's personal interests.
Omaha produced the Country Music Awards last November and has also produced series for the History Channel, like "Beyond the Battlefield" and "The Mega-Brands That Built America." Manning said Omaha tries to make its slate family-friendly.
Omaha's niche: Sports, history, country music
Omaha is an apt name for Manning's production company. Football fans will recognize it as a callback to the callout signal Manning often gave as the quarterback of the Denver Broncos.
But although Omaha isn't necessarily a reference to the Nebraska city, the company has strong Midwest sensibilities.
The topics Manning has an affinity for — sports, business, country music, history, and the military — have clear appeal in Middle America. That said, the former Colts and Broncos star has always kept his personal politics to himself, and Omaha is trying to stay far away from politics and the culture wars.
Omaha is also staying away from gritty subjects like crime, even though Manning said he personally loves "The Sopranos" and "Goodfellas." (Their military-themed show was about the history of the Marines and Army and how soldiers train, not an intense wartime drama like HBO's "Band of Brothers.")
The Middle America appeal aligns with Manning's roots. He grew up in Louisiana, played college football at Tennessee, and spent most of his career in Indianapolis.
Omaha isn't the only TV outfit finding success in this lane. Taylor Sheridan has made a slew of popular shows, kicked off by Paramount's "Yellowstone." Amazon Prime Video has also invested heavily in so-called "dad TV" with "Reacher" and "Jack Ryan," plus faith-based shows like "House of David," based on King David in the Bible.
From signal caller to shot-caller
While Omaha has momentum, Manning said starting a production company came with a steep learning curve — plus inevitable incompletions when pitching to streamers and networks.
"We've heard 'no' plenty," Manning said. "It doesn't mean it's not a good idea. All it takes is one to like you."
Manning said he's enjoyed being a producer even more than being in front of the camera.
"I'm the offensive coordinator in the press box," Manning said. "I never really had been a part of anything like that, where I didn't sort of have to play quarterback."
Manning said he's looking forward to the next season of "Quarterback," which debuts on Netflix in July and features the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff, and the Atlanta Falcons' Kirk Cousins. Manning noted that the first-look deal with 20th Television won't impact preexisting deals with streamers like Netflix.
The Omaha project that Manning is anticipating the most is "Chad Powers," a coming Hulu show that stars Glen Powell as a former standout quarterback who tries to resurrect his career by going undercover as a walk-on. The idea for the show came from an Omaha Productions sketch that Eli Manning did back in 2022.
"Eli's in a horrible wig, he's got a horrible accent, he talks about being homeschooled and coached by his mom, he has these little catchphrases," Manning said. "And next thing you know, maybe one of the biggest movie stars in the world is doing a show about that."
The Apple TV+ show "Ted Lasso" also began as a skit and became a smash hit. Manning hopes "Chad Powers" follows suit.
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