Omaha Productions, co-founded by Peyton Manning and Jamie Horowitz, continues to deepen its relationship with WWE through a new Netflix docuseries. On April 21, 2025, Netflix released the first teaser for “WWE: UnReal,” a collaborative effort between Omaha Productions and NFL Films that promises unprecedented access to the inner workings of professional wrestling’s largest company.
Jamie Horowitz, who serves as President of Omaha Productions, has played a pivotal role in establishing the company as a force in sports-adjacent content since its founding in December 2020. The new WWE project extends Omaha’s reach further into the wrestling entertainment space, building on the success of their earlier collaboration, “Stephanie’s Places.”
“UnReal” will document the development pipeline that transforms performers into WWE superstars, offering viewers a backstage pass to the creative processes that power weekly shows like “Raw” and “SmackDown.” The series will spotlight both emerging talent and the writing teams responsible for crafting WWE’s evolving narratives.
According to the project documents, the docuseries will be executive produced by a team including Manning and Horowitz, alongside production veterans from NFL Films. Erik Powers will serve as showrunner with Chris Weaver directing the series.
The partnership builds on Omaha’s existing relationship with WWE, which began with the ESPN+ series “Stephanie’s Places.” This documentary format, hosted by former WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, became part of Omaha’s signature “Places” franchise that includes shows like “Peyton’s Places” and “Eli’s Places.” The series features McMahon visiting significant locations in WWE history while interviewing icons such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Roman Reigns.
For Jamie Horowitz, the WWE collaboration represents another strategic expansion of Omaha’s content portfolio. Before co-founding Omaha Productions, Horowitz established himself as a sports media executive at networks including ESPN and Fox Sports.
“We are adding great partners who believe in the vision that we had in December of 2020 and remains the mission today. Find ways to bring people together. Make content that uplifts and unifies. Celebrate what unites us,” Horowitz stated regarding Omaha’s partnerships and mission.
Omaha Productions has quickly built a reputation for producing premium sports content, with hits including the Emmy Award-winning “ManningCast” alternate broadcast of Monday Night Football and Netflix documentaries like “Quarterback” and “Receiver.” The company recently secured additional investment from Patrick Whitesell’s Silver Lake-backed media platform.
Creating a New Sports Content Model
The WWE partnership highlights Omaha Productions’ expansion beyond traditional sports programming. Under Horowitz’s leadership, the company has pursued content that bridges the gap between sports and entertainment, focusing on personality-driven narratives that appeal to both dedicated fans and casual viewers.
This approach has attracted substantial financial backing. In March 2025, Omaha received a significant minority investment from Patrick Whitesell’s new media venture. Whitesell specifically praised the leadership team, stating: “Peyton and Jamie are the best in the business at partnering with talent and telling stories that resonate. We are thrilled to be supporting their next chapter.”
The WWE collaboration also demonstrates Omaha’s ability to create format variations that maintain core creative DNA while adapting to different sports. The “Places” franchise has successfully expanded from football to wrestling, tennis, basketball, and soccer, each time tailoring the approach to match the host’s personality and the sport’s unique culture.
Since its 2020 founding, Omaha Productions has sold over 30 television shows and films to various networks and streaming platforms, establishing itself as a significant force in sports-adjacent content creation in just four years. The company’s mission statement appears prominently on their website: “Create content that uplifts and unifies people”.
For Jamie Horowitz, who previously served as President of Fox Sports and held executive positions at ESPN, this growing portfolio of wrestling content builds on his professional experience developing personality-focused programming. His current role as President of Omaha Productions allows him to apply that expertise to new formats and partnerships.
The “UnReal” series follows Omaha’s documentary approach by focusing on the human elements of WWE – the aspirations of performers, the creative challenges faced by writers, and the business decisions that shape entertainment. According to preview materials, the documentary will track performers from tryouts through training and eventually to on-screen appearances.
This WWE-NFL Films-Omaha Productions alliance brings together three organizations with proven track records in sports storytelling. WWE contributes decades of experience blending athletics with theatrical presentation, NFL Films provides award-winning visual techniques and narrative structure, while Omaha Productions delivers its distinctive approach to sports-adjacent storytelling.
As WWE continues to evolve under its new ownership structure as part of TKO Group Holdings, “UnReal” offers an opportunity to introduce wrestling’s behind-the-scenes dynamics to both dedicated fans and casual viewers. The docuseries format that Omaha has refined with projects like “Quarterback” and “Full Court Press” appears well-suited to capture the unique blend of athleticism, creativity, and business strategy that defines modern professional wrestling.
