American Sports Story season 2 gets a cautious response from executive producer and series developer Stu Zicherman. Debuting in September, with Josh Andrés Rivera in the title role, the FX and Hulu series chronicles the tragic rise and fall of NFL star Aaron Hernandez and aims to use the former Patriot player as a starting point to tackle larger questions about family, identity, and masculinity. But since it is part of the larger American Story franchise, created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, there are questions about what a second installment could look like.

In an interview with TheWrap, following the American Sports Story finale, Zicherman briefly addressed whether the series could be back for season 2. It’s noted that the executive producer and the show’s team have discussed possible ideas to explore, but the drama has not been renewed yet. Zicherman explains, in the quote below, what the conditions for a renewal might have to be:

“The big idea is a story, whether it’s a crime or an event or a person, that transcends sports so much that it makes a larger comment on society in general, which I think this show was able to do. There have been some discussions. I think everybody’s waiting to see how this one does.”

The Show Has Been A Modest Hit

American Sports Story is now available to stream in its entirety on Hulu. There are avenues to take a second installment, with the tragic murder-suicide of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit serving as one example of a recent case that offers social commentary, works as a period piece, and has somewhat receded from the conversation as WWE has refashioned itself into a family-friendly company. As with Aaron Hernandez, the potential anthology would have a lot of material to draw from.

The bigger issue, the executive producer reveals, is the performance of the first installment. American Sports Story looks to have done well on Hulu, even showing up as its top-trending series at one point. But without specific numbers and factors such as the completion rate, it is difficult to quantify whether the show has performed strongly enough for top decision-makers to call for a renewal. Awards attention, in a competitive category, may also shake things up.

Our Verdict On American Sports Story

There Might Be Too Much Ryan Murphy

The cast of American Sports Story, including Jaylen Barron, Lindsay Mendez, and Ean Castellano in main roles, did wonderfully in their respective roles. But it debuted around the same time as the new season of Monsters and a few other returning Murphy dramas. So much of the prolific producer’s work, across a few different streaming platforms, deals with murder and crime. The Hernandez adaptation was arguably a more considered and less flashy retelling, but it may have lost the attention due to Murphy’s other franchises.

Source: TheWrap

American Sports Story is a TV show from Stu Zicherman and executive produced by Ryan Murphy. The series stars Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow. The sports anthology series serves as the fourth installment in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise.

Cast

Josh Andrés Rivera , Patrick Schwarzenegger

Character(s)

Shaneah Jenkins , Shayanna Jenkins , Aaron Hernandez , Tanya Singleton , Terri Hernandez , ‘Chris’ , Dennis Hernandez , Urban Meyer , Tim Tebow , Carlos ‘Charlie Boy’ Ortiz , Alexander Sherrod , Ernest ‘Bo’ Wallace , Steve Addazio , Dennis Sansoucie , Jeff Cummings , Sports Reporter , Mr. Marzigalli , Coach Morgan , Uncle Bobby , DJ Hernandez (Age 4) , Emcee , Basketball Player , Trainer , Principal Seligman , Pastor

Release Date

September 17, 2024

Seasons

1

Writers

Ryan Farley , Liz Tuccillo , Tracey Scott Wilson

Directors

Paris Barclay , Carl Franklin

Producers

Brad Simpson , Scott Robertson , Nellie Reed , Lee Edward Colston , Todd Nenninger , Tanase Popa , Hernan Lopez , Eric Kovtun , Hadi Nicholas Deeb , Gail Barringer , Ira Napoliello , Matthew Hodgson , Carl Franklin , Sara Stelwagen , Nina Jacobson , Marshall Lewy , David Woods , Alexis Martin Woodall , Tyson Bidner , Stuart Zicherman , Ryan Murphy , Monica Levinson , Lou Eyrich

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