On Wednesday, Netflix announced a new sports series about the life of the current Colorado football coach, set to be released in 2026 with three 60-minute episodes. The show will be called “PRIME TIME” and will add to his extensive exposure on several platforms in recent years. For example:
∎ He recently concluded a 21-episode season of a weekly talk show he co-hosted on Tubi called “We Got Time Today.”
∎ In January, Amazon Prime Video released Season 3 of “Coach Prime,” which chronicled Sanders in his second season as coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.
∎ On Aug. 29, he begins his third season at Colorado with a prime-time game on ESPN at home against Georgia Tech. That will be the 14th straight game for his team on the flagship ESPN channel or network television (CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC).
The Netflix show currently is in production and promises to provide an “an in-depth look at one of pro sports’ most electrifying and polarizing figures, exploring his evolution from a two-sport pro phenom to a culture-defining coach and media personality,” according to Netflix.
Netflix said Sanders would open up about “deeply personal aspects of his life,” including his relationship with his biological father, surviving an attempted suicide and near-death health scares, which include his battle with blood clots.
Sanders, 57, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who also played Major League Baseball before becoming a college football coach. His two-year record at Colorado is 13-12, including a 9-4 record this past season.
“It means so much to finally be able to tell my unfiltered story, my TRUTH,” Sanders said in a statement provided by Netflix. “I was PRIME TIME, then I dropped the TIME and went by PRIME, and now I’m in the third quarter of my life and they call me COACH PRIME. Y’all knew a part of me each step of the way, but you never knew DEION … and I’m excited to share that with you all — the highs and lows, the truths and tragedies, and everything in between. They can’t stop or contain what God has purposed.”
Sanders’ flamboyant personality and ability to reinvent himself and succeed in various endeavors has turned him into a fame and marketing machine. In two seasons at Colorado, 21 of his 25 games have been on the flagship ESPN channel or network TV.
Being on camera extensively is a big part of his unconventional recruiting strategy, too. He and his CU football program also are regularly chronicled by select YouTube channels, including that of his eldest son, Deion Jr.
The university said the new Netflix show primarily focuses on Sanders’ life up to now, so the school’s involvement will be limited. The new show is being produced by the talent agency Sanders uses, SMAC Entertainment, along with Skydance Sports and NFL Films.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
