The red carpet premiere of “Full Court Press” Season 2 at Manhattan’s Hudson Square Theater on April 23, 2025, marked another milestone for Omaha Productions. The event highlighted the journeys of women’s college basketball stars Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Flau’jae Johnson (LSU), and Kiki Iriafen (USC), building on the company’s growing reputation for athlete-centered storytelling.
Building on Season 1’s Unprecedented Success
The first season of “Full Court Press” followed basketball phenoms Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and Kiki Rice during the historic 2023-24 season. The docuseries captured Clark’s record-breaking senior year at Iowa, culminating with the NCAA final between Iowa and South Carolina—the most-watched college basketball game ever.
Director Kristen Lappas described the opportunity: “As someone who has grown up a devout fan of the women’s game, I am thrilled that we are able to make this show at this pivotal moment in the history of the sport.”
The show’s success led to its renewal with a new cast of stars for Season 2, furthering Omaha’s commitment to women’s basketball. Season 2 director Nikki Spetseris took the reins, exploring the stories of Hidalgo, Johnson, and Iriafen through their 2024-25 campaigns.
From Talk Shows to Documentary Storytelling
Jamie Horowitz’s shift from developing confrontational debate programs to crafting athlete-centered documentaries marks a notable evolution in his content approach. At ESPN and Fox Sports, he built his reputation creating personality-driven shows like “First Take” and “Undisputed.”
At Omaha Productions, Horowitz has applied his talent for spotting compelling personalities to documentary formats, focusing on authenticity rather than manufactured conflict. This philosophy stems from a core mission he articulated when co-founding the company with Manning in December 2020: “bring people together. Make content that uplifts and unifies. Celebrate what unites us.”
“Peyton and I are huge fans of women’s college basketball,” Horowitz noted about the series. “We’re thrilled to continue the legacy of Full Court Press with a new season, and I’m immensely proud to continue supporting women’s basketball by showcasing the players whose talent and dedication elevate the sport to new heights.”
Season 2: New Voices, Same Documentary Excellence
For “Full Court Press” Season 2, Omaha Productions maintained its documentary formula while featuring a new trio of emerging basketball stars. The series follows Hidalgo, a sophomore guard known for her fierce competitiveness; Johnson, who balances basketball with a music career; and Iriafen, a graduate student who transferred to USC after graduating from Stanford in just three years.
“I wanna do a photoshoot with this,” Johnson exclaimed after receiving a promotional crown sent to each of the featured athletes ahead of the Season 2 premiere, showcasing her enthusiasm for the project.
The documentary team builds on the storytelling approach established in Season 1, blending athletic achievement with personal narrative. Peyton Manning’s philosophy guides the production process: “The whole goal is to have this be a memento for them.”
Corporate Growth Through Content Innovation
Since its founding in 2020, Omaha Productions has expanded rapidly through strategic partnerships. In March 2025, the company received a minority investment from Patrick Whitesell’s Silver Lake-backed media platform, providing capital for expansion into scripted content.
Shortly after, Omaha secured a first-look deal with 20th Television to develop scripted programming for Disney platforms. The nine-year extension of their partnership with ESPN through 2034 further validates their content approach under Horowitz’s creative direction.
The company’s portfolio now includes the Emmy Award-winning “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” Netflix’s “Quarterback,” “Receiver,” and “Starting Five,” and the recently announced Netflix/WWE docuseries “Unreal.”
Finding Authenticity in Athlete Stories
Omaha Productions’ documentary approach emphasizes collaboration with featured athletes, allowing them creative input while maintaining editorial control. This philosophy stems from Manning’s perspective as a former athlete who understands the challenges of balancing privacy with documentation.
This athlete-centered philosophy has helped Omaha Productions secure access that other companies might struggle to obtain, building trust with sports stars while creating compelling content for viewers.
As “Full Court Press” Season 2 joins Omaha’s growing catalog of sports documentaries, it demonstrates how Horowitz and Manning have refined their approach to sports storytelling—focusing on authentic human moments rather than manufactured drama, and elevating women’s sports through high-quality production.
The premiere event at Hudson Square Theater not only celebrated this latest chapter but signaled the company’s ongoing commitment to storytelling that resonates beyond the final buzzer.
