Peyton Manning and Jamie Horowitz’s Omaha Productions Revolutionize Sports Comedy With Chad Powers

Omaha Productions and co-founders Peyton Manning and Jamie Horowitz have produced an impressive number of hit programs since the company launched in 2020. Omaha is known for its award-winning sports megacasts and docuseries, such as ESPN2’s ManningCast and Netflix’s Quarterback.

Now, Omaha Productions is venturing onto the sports comedy field with the new series Chad Powers. The show was recently given a series order at Hulu, and it’s set to star Glen Powell — best known for the popular movies Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You — in the title role.

The series follows Russ Holliday, a once-promising college quarterback whose career is derailed by his off-field antics. In a bid for redemption, Holliday assumes the identity of Chad Powers and joins a struggling Southern football team. This premise sets the stage for plenty of laughs but also delves into themes of identity, second chances, and the pursuit of greatness against all odds.

Production on the series is expected to begin soon.

The Chad Powers Origin Story

At the heart of this project is the title character Chad Powers, a fictional personality originally introduced in an episode of Omaha Productions’ Eli’s Places and portrayed by former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. In the episode, Manning pretended to try out for a position at Penn State during the team’s famous walk-on tryouts, and he did it in disguise. After a Hollywood makeup team did their magic, Chad Powers was born.

Manning proved to be a natural, demonstrating remarkable comedic talent in the ad-libbed role. The episode of Eli’s Places quickly went viral (more than 10 million views in a week), and it was clear that everyone from sports superstars to sports fans wanted more.

Several of his quips from the bit, including “Think fast, run fast,” turned into catchphrases now featured on T-shirts and coffee mugs.

Manning was among the most surprised at how quickly Chad Powers became a cultural phenomenon.

“The love for Chad Powers has surprised me in spectacular ways,” Manning said. “I played 16 years in the NFL, but now when I’m in a restaurant or walking through an airport, it’s not uncommon for fans to scream, ‘Hey Chad!’”

Manning’s performance captured the attention of Glen Powell and writer Michael Waldron, both self-professed die-hard college football fans. They will work closely with the Mannings, who will both be producers on the show. Their vision for Chad Powers aims to weave together humor and heart within the competitive world of college football.

“I’m so excited to team up with my friends Glen Powell, Michael Waldron, and Omaha Productions to continue to tell the Chad Powers story and see what he does next,” Manning said.

Chad Powers Aims To Redefine Sports Comedy

Sports comedy is a tricky genre to pull off. A few shows have found moderate niche success, such as FX’s The League and HBO’s Eastbound & Down. Apple’s Ted Lasso is among the only sports comedies to capture the mainstream imagination.

Omaha Productions hopes to turn Chad Powers into a universally beloved character by changing how sports comedies are created. 

To do that, Eli Manning and his brother Peyton — a fellow NFL icon and a co-founder of Omaha Productions — are on board to produce and consult. The two GOAT quarterbacks will bring authenticity to scenes on the field and drama between players.

To capture mainstream audiences, Omaha Productions enlisted Waldron as a writer. Waldron is best known for penning Marvel mega-hits like Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He was also a writer for the animated comedy Rick & Morty, the highest-rated comedy of all time on IMDb.

Jamie Horowitz will also produce and play an active role in the show’s creation. Horowitz is considered the father of the modern sports talk show. Throughout his 20-plus years in sports entertainment, he’s created and produced talk programs like First Take, Undisputed, SportsNation, The Herd With Colin Cowherd, and Numbers Never Lie.

Omaha Productions Expands Its Repertoire

Given the breakaway success of Omaha Productions’ shows, specials, and podcasts, it’s hard to believe that the company is only just over 3 years old. In that short time frame, co-founders Jamie Horowitz and Peyton Manning have formed lucrative partnerships with the NFL, ESPN, Netflix, The History Channel, and Prime Video.

Now, they’re expanding their list of collaborators to Hulu and Waldron’s Anomaly Pictures as they break new creative ground with Chad Powers. Powers will not only be Omaha Productions’ first comedy series; it will be the company’s first foray into scripted content. With Chad Powers, Omaha hopes to build a bridge between traditional sports media audiences and broader streaming audiences.

Jamie Horowitz and Peyton Manning have reason to believe they will be successful. They’ve already succeeded in captivating sports fans and Netflix streamers with Quarterback, a fly-on-the-wall documentary series following three of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks (Patrick Mahomes, Marcus Mariota, and Kirk Cousins) throughout the 2022-23 season. It was a massive success, racking up 21.4 million view hours in its first week while becoming the most-streamed show on Netflix.

Jamie Horowitz’s innovative approach to sports content has been instrumental in expanding the appeal of sports entertainment and empowering a new generation of sports personalities. With Chad Powers, Omaha Productions might just be unveiling its most captivating sports figure yet.

Omaha Productions plans to debut Chad Powers in the spring of 2025 on Hulu.