Angel City FC documentary coming to HBO and HBO Max
An Angel City FC documentary is coming in May 2023 to HBO and HBO Max. The NWSL‘s Los Angeles-based club debuted in 2022, pulling in the largest average crowds in the league.
The three part docuseries is aptly titled “ANGEL CITY,” and will premiere on HBO and streaming service HBO Max. It will follow the creation of the team through their inaugural 2022 season. The team is notable for having a majority female ownership group, led by actress Natalie Portman (also one of the executive producers of the documentary).
Per the press release, the series “reveals the passion and grit needed to build a franchise from scratch and blaze a bold trail in the world of professional sports.”
Certainly of interest to hardcore women’s soccer fans, it remains to be seen as to whether an Angel City FC documentary generates the same kind of resonance with the general public as the acclaimed Welcome to Wrexham series or other recent sports docs have.
Angel City FC documentary set to premiere this May
Angel City certainly have no shortage of popular figures to draw upon for the series. The ownership of Angel City also includes big names such as Serena Williams, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Billie Jean King and many more recognizable athletes and celebrities. That celebrity angle is certainly a big part of the story with Angel City FC.
Of course, we know how 2022 in the NWSL shook out, so there will be no cinderella ending to the story. Angel City missed the cut for the playoffs in their first go. They also finished last in their Challenge Cup group. But despite the lack of on-field success, the club had an otherwise very good launch. They’ve been able to draw large crowds and connect to their community from the start. Not an easy task for any team, let alone a women’s club in the second-biggest market in the USA.
It should be an interesting window into what it takes to get a new pro outfit off the ground.
The 2023 NWSL season kicks off this weekend, with Angel City wrapping up the opening slate of games on Sunday March 26th at home versus Gotham FC.
Photo: Angel City FC / HBO