How to watch 'Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills' online and on TV
Here's how to watch "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for free.
"Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" premieres on Tuesday, August 5 at 9 p.m. ET / PT (2 a.m. BST / 11 a.m. AEST Weds) and airs weekly.• U.S. — HBO / Max• U.K. — Sky/ Now (release date tbc)• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN risk-free
But it's not just because of all the "Tough to the core, that's what Buffalo is" (Head Coach Sean McDermott) and "We're going to do whatever we can to bring the Lombardi [trophy] back to Western New York" (Josh Allen) kind of soundbites that people love "Hard Knocks".
Executive producer Ken Rodgers has called it "a workplace drama" but what he means is that people get off on it watching multi-millionaires being treated like they're on chain gang and getting shouted at by stressed out coaches while they pop open a fresh one in their La-Z-Boy recliner and think about pizza.
Ready for some preseason prep with The Bills? Read on to find out how to watch "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" online and from anywhere.
Episodes of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" go out on HBO at on Tuesdays, starting on August 5 at 9 p.m. ET / PT. The best way to watch is online is via its Max platform.
Max prices start at $9.99/month if you don't mind ads, going to $16.99/month for ad-free and $20.99/month if you want the option to watch content on up to four devices and in 4K. For even better value, you can pay for a whole year upfront and effectively get 12 months for the price of 10 on any of its tiers.
HBO can also be added to OTT streaming services such as Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
Traveling outside the States? You'll need to use a VPN to unblock Max when abroad.
Max is no. 1 on our best streaming services list for its vast, high-quality library, including all of HBO's prestige series like "Game of Thrones", "The Last of Us" and "Succession", plus recent offerings among the best Max shows such as "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" and "House of the Dragon".
If "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" isn't airing where you're currently located, that doesn't mean you have to miss the show while you're away from home. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you are.
We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN you can get right now is NordVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. You can try it risk-free for 30 days if you take advantage of NordVPN's no-quibble money-back guarantee.
NordVPN deal: FREE $50 / £50 Amazon gift card
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Use Nord to unblock Max and watch "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" online with our exclusive deal.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select a U.S. server from the location list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to your streaming service app — so Max, for example — and watch "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" online from wherever you are in the world.
There's currently no word on when "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" might air in Canada.
Americans on vacation in Canada will need one of the best VPNs to log in back home to catch the doc. We recommend NordVPN.
When "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" is released in the UK it will almost certainly end up on Sky and available to watch via the Sky Go app, which is available on smartphones, computers, games consoles and a host of TV streaming devices.
Not a Sky subscriber? Plans currently start from £26/month.
Alternatively, Sky content is also available to watch with a subscription to the broadcaster's pay-as-you-go service Now. Prices start from only £6.99/month.
Those on vacation away from the U.K. will need a good streaming VPN to log in back home to use Sky Go or Now as they will be geo-blocked when not at home. We recommend NordVPN.
DAZN with NFL Game Pass is also the most likely place for Aussie fans to find "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" although there is no confirmation at the time of writing.
If you're an American viewer travelling Down Under you can use a VPN to log in back home and stream the sports doc as you normally would. We recommend NordVPN.
All episodes air on HBO and Max at 9 p.m. ET / PT (2 a.m. BST / 11 a.m. AEST Weds).
Episode 1: Tuesday, August 5
Episode 2: Tuesday, August 12
Episode 3: Tuesday, August 19
Episode 4: Tuesday, August 26
Episode 5: Tuesday, September 2
"Hard Knocks" will cover an entire NFC East division in-season - only the second time, after AFC North in 2024, that an entire division has been the focus. And what a division.
Alongside the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen, reigning league MVP at quarterback, will be the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles, world famous Dallas Cowboys plus the new era New York Giants and the Washington Commanders.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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New York Times
10 minutes ago
- New York Times
Buffalo Bills, James Cook enter a staring contest over contract. How could it end?
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — When training camp practices began on July 23, as far as running back James Cook was concerned, the Bills likely thought they were moving forward with the 2025 season. Cook reported to training camp on time, and he was on the field fully practicing through the first eight sessions. Advertisement Even on the first day of camp, when asked about Cook, head coach Sean McDermott declared, 'He's ready to go.' That was, until the ninth practice arrived on Sunday. Cook's lack of participation seemed to catch most in the building by surprise. The Bills had been handing out some 'vet rest' days. Even with his desires for a new deal, the 'vet rest' day seemed the most logical explanation for his absence since he had already begun practicing and fully participated in mandatory minicamp in June. Cook pulled the unorthodox move of beginning his hold-in after fully practicing for over a week, declaring it 'business', leading the Bills to issue a rare-for-them 'no comment' as they were leaving the practice field, and now they're in an incredibly delicate situation. The Bills have had several instances of players seeking new deals ahead of the season and negotiating while the player was practicing. In some cases, they've agreed to terms, others they haven't, and it lingered into the following offseason. General manager Brandon Beane has not had a situation like this one at Bills training camp. But it's slowly devolved. Cook was visible for the entirety of practice on Sunday, seemed engaged with his teammates, and was right next to the rest of the running backs as they were going through drills. Then on Monday, with cameras and smartphones pointed in his direction as he slowly walked out to practice in street clothes for the second day of the hold-in, he entered the practice area and did a quick about-face into the portable bathroom. Cook exited, took a direct line to the nearby medical tent, disappearing from view and wasn't seen for the rest of practice. The Bills had Tuesday off, and on Wednesday, Cook did not appear at practice once during his third day of the hold-in. Cook is in the final year of his rookie deal, and with his escalators due to performance, will make just over $5 million in base salary and account for just under $6 million on the 2025 cap. After tying a single-season franchise record in rushing touchdowns (16) and hitting the 1,000-yard rushing marker, Cook is clearly hoping to be better compensated. For a team focused on finally pushing to the Super Bowl in search of the franchise's first-ever Lombardi Trophy, this has become somewhat of a 'will he or won't he practice' distraction on a day-to-day basis that they likely don't love, to put it mildly. To be clear, Cook is extremely well-liked in the building. The front office, coaching staff, and his teammates have all spoken very fondly of Cook both before and after his desires for a new deal intensified over the last few days. Advertisement What makes the practice pullback a bit unexpected is what Cook said on July 24, when asked about his thought process about whether to practice or not at training camp. 'I didn't really think about it. I just, I knew I was going to come out here and work,' Cook said. 'I don't owe it to nobody but my teammates and myself and my family. So by me participating, showing my teammates that I love the game and I'm willing to be out here.' So, then, what changed? Why did Cook go from the 'head down and work' mindset to the complete opposite in under two weeks? That's what has made the entire situation so perplexing to many. 'James Cook only wants to be a Buffalo Bill. This isn't some $200 million Micah Parsons-Jerry Jones negotiation,' said Zac Hiller of LAA, one of Cook's agents, when reached by The Athletic for comment Wednesday about why the practice approach changed. 'We're hopeful there's a resolution soon, and we'll keep working toward that every day.' So what exactly is going on here? Let's dive in. After the Bills' exit from the playoffs last season, it didn't take long for them to get to work. The 2025 NFL Combine began, and the Bills went on a spree of one contract extension after another. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard, and defensive end Greg Rousseau were the first three. Then the Bills got a new deal with quarterback Josh Allen over the line, followed by another extension in late March to cornerback Christian Benford. In Shakir, Bernard, Rousseau and Benford's cases, they were all entering the final year of their rookie deals — much the same as Cook. But before the Combine, Cook issued his now infamous insinuation that he wanted $15 million per year, which would tie him with Derrick Henry for the third-highest average per year for running backs. Whether or not that's Cook's ultimate goal or just him putting something out on social media in the heat of the moment remains unclear. Advertisement The social media post didn't deter the Bills from keeping talks active with Cook. Beane didn't put too much stock into it when asked about it at the NFL Combine, either. The Bills have made it clear they want Cook back, and Cook also wants to remain with the team. Both sides had publicly said all the right things leading up to the beginning of the hold-in. Though if there was one quote from Beane that could have foreshadowed where things currently stand, it was when he spoke to the media on July 23. 'It is a business. We have to fit it in, not only cash, but cap, and sometimes, you can look at it and say, 'Well, you know, you go to this website or whatever, they could fit him in if they did this and this.' But we also have to look at '26, '27 and beyond, because you can walk yourself into one of those years where you're like, 'Oh man, there's not a lot of guys, we can take them out here.' We would have to trade or cut someone that we wouldn't want to lose. … So all those things have to make sense for us to fit him in.' The Bills have a lot of new contract extensions that would follow a similar cap hit path as the one Cook would potentially sign, and they're already over the projected 2026 salary cap. It's quite the predicament to marry what the Bills could offer and what would get Cook to sign on the dotted line on a long-term deal. Beane alluding to all of this could be a sign of where things stand. As Cook began his hold-in on Sunday, Beane had a previously scheduled radio interview on Monday morning that turned timely due to Cook's new approach. 'We tried to get something done with Jimbo, and unfortunately, you know, it's got — it takes two,' Beane said on WGR-AM on Monday. 'And both sides have to agree on what that number is, and obviously, that hasn't gotten there. But, I'm not sitting here saying 'You don't pay running backs.' I think you just have to find what the sweet spot is.' The 'it takes two' and 'find what the sweet spot is' lines are what stand out. What is clear is that the Bills and Cook's representatives have a relatively different assessment of Cook's long-term valuation, and Cook's side felt strongly enough about their stance to have him begin the hold-in. Advertisement Although the term 'impasse' may be a bit strong, it's certainly not out of the question to describe the current state of things. The apparent legitimate difference in valuations is the likeliest culprit for the situation. Cook is one of their top offensive players coming off the best season of his young career. He just watched the Bills pay several other young players, and also watched some of the running back numbers get heightened this offseason with new deals. For something to get done long term, something has to give. The Rams gave a three-year extension with an average of $11 million per year to running back Kyren Williams this week. Cook is likely closer to the Williams tier than the Saquon Barkley ($20.4 million APY), Christian McCaffrey ($19 million) and Derrick Henry ($15 million) tier atop the running back APY landscape. Cook and Williams are both proven commodities in the NFL, with Cook giving the Bills something at the running back position they haven't had since Beane and McDermott arrived in Buffalo. With Cook and Williams being a part of the same draft class, and being close in several statistical senses, too, that could be a natural link to put those valuations on par. However, it's an imperfect comparison. For one, Williams is almost a year younger than Cook, which is something teams consider with contracts. Perhaps the bigger consideration is that Williams' overall workload in the Rams offense is far and away heavier than what the Bills have asked of Cook, and what they're trending toward asking of Cook again in his fourth season, should he get back on the field for the Bills. Over the last two seasons, Williams has taken 82 and 87 percent of the Rams' offensive snaps in his active games. He has been their true-to-form three-down back, is trending toward continuing that way, and is now the seventh-highest-paid running back annually. On the flip side, Cook's snap rates in active games have been 55 and 48 percent in 2023 and 2024, and for most of 2024, Cook usually was replaced on third downs in favor of committee back Ty Johnson. Based on their practice usage, and with both Johnson and Ray Davis signed for the 2026 season, there's no indication that this is going to change anytime soon. It's not to say that Cook can't be that player. He has shown flashes of doing it when asked. The Bills believe he can do it if needed, and Cook said he wants to prove he can do it on a consistent basis. But that hasn't happened yet. Advertisement Cook's role, at its core, might be where the valuations aren't lining up between the two sides. The Bills haven't used, and don't project to use Cook in a three-down role over the next two seasons based on their roster setup, barring injuries. That could cause them to have Cook's value land closer to 10th, or outside of the top 10 of running back APY in the NFL. So now, the Bills and Cook's representation are seemingly in a staring contest. The line of communication remains open, but this is a different beast than what the Bills have dealt with previously in extension talks. A hold-in provides pressure on a team looking to reach the Super Bowl this season by removing one of their most trusted assets on offense in key preparations for the year. And from Cook's perspective, you can understand where they're coming from, wanting to maximize his value coming off a career year and wanting to be compensated closer to his worth. It's something most would want. There is also a matter of precedent from a team perspective. Beane has always held to his values on players, and there have been times (Tremaine Edmunds, Harrison Phillips, etc.) when their value of the player didn't align with the player's ultimate value on the open market, and they declined to match those offers and let them walk. If Beane is the one who blinks on a long-term deal solely because of the desire to win this year, that sends a message that if a player puts enough pressure on the franchise, the Bills will eventually fold. Especially with all the cap gymnastics the Bills are already having to do while paying Allen what they are, it's a somewhat treacherous precedent to set. It's a tricky and delicate balancing act for both sides, and the result is each side playing a bit of hardball at the current moment. And ultimately, one side may have to give in more than they'd want to make this a long-term pact. Both sides have stayed consistent in that they want Cook to stay with the Bills past 2025. The team loves him as a player and person, which is why they have been open to paying a running back a lucrative new deal for the first time since Beane took over as GM. Advertisement The most likely outcome is that Cook returns to practice at some point this summer, though it's tough to tell when that will happen and under what terms. The two sides appear dug in as it stands, and still, with a month to go before the regular season begins, there is time for this to drag on, depending on how far into the preseason Cook is comfortable with continuing to hold in. There's always the option to return to practice without a new deal if it's cutting it too close to the regular season. If the Bills and Cook can't meet in the middle on a long-term deal, there's always the option of doing what the Bills did with safety Jordan Poyer in 2022. It was essentially a bandage deal that reworked the one year with enhanced bonus incentives to potentially earn more in a single season, rather than committing to a long-term deal. At the very least, that could be enough to get Cook back on the field in 2025, and then they can try to figure things out again in the upcoming offseason. There's also the option of signing a long-term deal closer to where the Bills' APY value is on him over the initial seasons, while backloading the contract to bring the APY up closer to where Cook's camp is comfortable to help get the deal over the line. Most guaranteed money is usually on the first two seasons of new contracts, anyway. For those wondering about a potential trade of Cook before the season, there is no indication that it is anywhere in the conversation, at least not at this point. The two sides have been very firm in wanting to make it work in Buffalo. If a trade or trade request were to happen, it would mean a complete breakdown in communication between the two sides and a continued hold-in from Cook that potentially threatens to extend into the regular season. Cook doesn't want that, and the Bills don't want that. For now, the staring contest remains, and given both the short-term and long-term ramifications from both sides, it remains a complex conundrum without an easy answer. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Running back James Cook's contract standoff with Bills reaches 3rd practice
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills and James Cook are in agreement on at least one aspect of the running back's contract standoff, which had the starter skipping his third consecutive training camp practice on Wednesday. Neither side will hazard guessing on how much longer Cook will continue declining to practice in the fourth-year player's escalating bid to extend the final year of his contract. What's more evident is how the team and player aren't on the same page on various aspects of negotiations based on what people on each side of discussions told The Associated Press over the past two days. The people spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the talks are private. Barring a sudden thaw in negotiations, it's unclear who is expected to take the next step to spur discussions. While the Bills have not ruled out potentially getting a deal done even if it means waiting until after the season, there's a difference over how optimistic each side is of having one in place before the season opens. The two sides also differ over whether Cook opened negotiations seeking a $15 million a year payday based on the player posting '$15 mill year' in a message he posted on social media in February. Though it's unclear how far apart they are on what's expected to be a three-year contract, Cook's current asking price ranges somewhere between $11 to $12.5 million in guaranteed money. How that fits in the Bills' long-term salary cap structure is unclear even for a player who co-led the NFL with 16 touchdowns rushing during Cook's breakout season in 2024. 'It's how do you divvy up your money? You don't want to lose a James Cook. He's a valuable piece to our team,' Bills GM Brandon Beane told The AP on July 25. 'But you also don't want to lose (left tackle) Dion Dawkins, (right tackle) Spencer Brown, the line we've put together or the money we put in the pass rush,' he added. 'Teams are forced with choices, and those choices get really hard once you've paid that quarterback.' Cook wound up being the odd-player out in Beane's offseason spree of signing four players entering their final contract seasons to extensions. Cook, meantime, believes he is deserving of a raise based on his production last year — his 16 TDs rushing tied a single-season team record — and the Bills placing an emphasis on a more balanced attack since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season. 'I deserve what I want, what I need, and it's going to eventually happen,' Cook said, two days into training camp. 'I mean, however it happens, it's going to get done, wherever it happens.' He referred to viewing himself as one of the NFL's top running backs and added he didn't regret posting what he did on social media. Cook was a full practice participant during Buffalo's first eight practices, before starting his 'hold-in' on Sunday, when he watched from the sideline dressed in a white track suit. On Monday, he made a brief appearance before ducking out before practice began and did not return. Cook didn't make an appearance Wednesday, but is still present at camp. Buffalo closes camp in suburban Rochester, New York, with a practice Thursday before opening its preseason schedule by hosting the New York Giants on Saturday. The team will then resume practicing at its headquarters in Orchard Park. Cook fears risking injury while entering the final year of his contract. Though the Bills have backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in position to step in, they also face a risk should one of them get hurt. Bills players and coaches insist Cook's absence hasn't been a distraction. Brady said he's treated Cook's absence no different than how he's adapted his practice plans to take into account several players sidelined by injuries. 'You guys know how I feel about James and the love I have for him, and all that's out of my control in my hands,' Brady said. 'So I find out tomorrow, hey, Jimbo's going, I can focus on this. I find out it's two weeks, whenever that time comes, we'll adjust, we'll be ready to go.' ___ AP NFL:
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Running back James Cook's contract standoff with Bills reaches 3rd practice
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills and James Cook are in agreement on at least one aspect of the running back's contract standoff, which had the starter skipping his third consecutive training camp practice on Wednesday. Neither side will hazard guessing on how much longer Cook will continue declining to practice in the fourth-year player's escalating bid to extend the final year of his contract. What's more evident is how the team and player aren't on the same page on various aspects of negotiations based on what people on each side of discussions told The Associated Press over the past two days. The people spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the talks are private. Barring a sudden thaw in negotiations, it's unclear who is expected to take the next step to spur discussions. While the Bills have not ruled out potentially getting a deal done even if it means waiting until after the season, there's a difference over how optimistic each side is of having one in place before the season opens. The two sides also differ over whether Cook opened negotiations seeking a $15 million a year payday based on the player posting '$15 mill year' in a message he posted on social media in February. Though it's unclear how far apart they are on what's expected to be a three-year contract, Cook's current asking price ranges somewhere between $11 to $12.5 million in guaranteed money. How that fits in the Bills' long-term salary cap structure is unclear even for a player who co-led the NFL with 16 touchdowns rushing during Cook's breakout season in 2024. 'It's how do you divvy up your money? You don't want to lose a James Cook. He's a valuable piece to our team,' Bills GM Brandon Beane told The AP on July 25. 'But you also don't want to lose (left tackle) Dion Dawkins, (right tackle) Spencer Brown, the line we've put together or the money we put in the pass rush,' he added. 'Teams are forced with choices, and those choices get really hard once you've paid that quarterback.' Cook wound up being the odd-player out in Beane's offseason spree of signing four players entering their final contract seasons to extensions. Cook, meantime, believes he is deserving of a raise based on his production last year — his 16 TDs rushing tied a single-season team record — and the Bills placing an emphasis on a more balanced attack since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season. 'I deserve what I want, what I need, and it's going to eventually happen,' Cook said, two days into training camp. 'I mean, however it happens, it's going to get done, wherever it happens.' He referred to viewing himself as one of the NFL's top running backs and added he didn't regret posting what he did on social media. Cook was a full practice participant during Buffalo's first eight practices, before starting his 'hold-in' on Sunday, when he watched from the sideline dressed in a white track suit. On Monday, he made a brief appearance before ducking out before practice began and did not return. Cook didn't make an appearance Wednesday, but is still present at camp. Buffalo closes camp in suburban Rochester, New York, with a practice Thursday before opening its preseason schedule by hosting the New York Giants on Saturday. The team will then resume practicing at its headquarters in Orchard Park. Cook fears risking injury while entering the final year of his contract. Though the Bills have backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in position to step in, they also face a risk should one of them get hurt. Bills players and coaches insist Cook's absence hasn't been a distraction. Brady said he's treated Cook's absence no different than how he's adapted his practice plans to take into account several players sidelined by injuries. 'You guys know how I feel about James and the love I have for him, and all that's out of my control in my hands,' Brady said. 'So I find out tomorrow, hey, Jimbo's going, I can focus on this. I find out it's two weeks, whenever that time comes, we'll adjust, we'll be ready to go.' ___ AP NFL:
