In another sign of its growing influence beyond ESPN and Netflix, Omaha Productions — the media company co-founded by Peyton Manning and led by president Jamie Horowitz — is launching a second new series with Vice Sports.
Vice Sports has ordered a new series, The NFL Playback, produced in collaboration with Omaha Productions and NFL Films, according to an announcement made earlier this week. The show will feature NFL stars watching and reacting to classic and memorable games from league history, offering fans a player-driven perspective on the moments that defined football culture.
“We’re thrilled to partner with VICE Sports to create THE NFL PLAYBACK,” said Peyton Manning. “This is a great way for fans to look back at unforgettable games and moments in NFL history.”
Pete Gaffney, President of VICE TV, praised the collaboration. “Everyone at VICE Sports is excited to work closely with Omaha Productions, with help from NFL Films, to bring THE NFL PLAYBACK to football fans next season,” Gaffney said. “Football games are usually absent on Wednesdays, so it’s the perfect night to offer fans something fresh and fun, and, having recently worked with Omaha on Razor’s Edge, we know that they will produce each episode of THE NFL PLAYBACK to the highest standards possible.”
Razor’s Edge, a six-part documentary series produced by Omaha Productions and Vice TV, offered an intimate look into John Calipari’s inaugural season as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team. The series combined mic’d-up footage, exclusive interviews, and raw behind-the-scenes access as Calipari navigated the pressure of rebuilding a new program in the SEC. “I think what many will find compelling in this series is the opportunity to get a true behind-the-scenes view of our program,” Calipari said ahead of the premiere. “Every season has its own journey, and we’ve invited viewers to come along for the ride.” The series earned critical praise for its depth and emotional honesty.
“Omaha’s mastery of authentic storytelling and ability to connect sports with culture made them a perfect fit for this series,” added Nina Sudra, President of Vice Studios Group. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring their creative vision to Vice’s audience.”
The project will be executive-produced by Manning, Horowitz, and Vice Sports executives.
From a Simple Vision to a Rapid Rise
Founded in 2020 by Manning and Horowitz, Omaha Productions was built around a simple but powerful idea: to create sports content that felt more personal, more relatable, and more human than traditional coverage.
“The goal was always to celebrate what unites us,” Horowitz said of the company’s founding vision. “In a world that feels increasingly divided, we wanted to make content that uplifts, that connects, that reminds people why they fell in love with sports in the first place.”
That focus on positivity and personality has resonated. Omaha’s first major hit, ManningCast — the alternate Monday Night Football telecast on ESPN2 and ESPN+ — became a cultural phenomenon almost immediately, earning Sports Emmy Awards in each of its first three seasons and inspiring a wave of alternate-broadcast spinoffs across sports broadcasting.
From there, the company expanded into documentary storytelling with projects like Quarterback and Receiver for Netflix, and Full Court Press for ESPN, which chronicled Caitlin Clark’s historic college basketball season. Each project, whether focused on NFL stars or women’s basketball standouts, maintained the same DNA: access, authenticity, and a sense of celebration rather than sensationalism.
“At Omaha, our goal has always been to make content that makes people feel closer to the sports and personalities they love,” Manning said in an earlier statement.
A String of Strategic Deals
The partnership with Vice Sports arrives on the heels of a series of bold moves by Omaha to diversify and expand its portfolio.
In March, Patrick Whitesell, the former executive chairman of Endeavor, announced that his new Silver Lake-backed media platform had taken a minority stake in Omaha Productions. The investment was widely seen as a signal of confidence in Omaha’s ability to grow into a full-fledged media powerhouse.
“We are adding great partners who believe in the vision that we had in December of 2020 and remains the mission today,” Horowitz said of the Whitesell deal. “Find ways to bring people together. Make content that uplifts and unifies. Celebrate what unites us.”
Shortly after the Whitesell announcement, Omaha revealed a first-look scripted television deal with Disney’s 20th Television, marking its first major foray into scripted content. Under the agreement, Omaha will develop series for Disney’s television platforms, further expanding beyond its unscripted sports roots.
“This deal is an important next step for Omaha as we continue to expand the kinds of stories we can tell,” Horowitz said. “We’re thrilled to work with Karey Burke, Carolyn Cassidy, and the incredible team at 20th Television to bring compelling scripted stories to life.”
Together, these moves suggest that Omaha Productions is positioning itself not just as a sports content company, but as a versatile creative studio capable of delivering a wide range of entertainment experiences.
Trust, Talent, and the Next Chapter
Key to Omaha’s success has been the unique dynamic between Manning and Horowitz, whose complementary skills — Manning’s credibility as a beloved sports icon, Horowitz’s experience shaping sports television at ESPN and Fox — have allowed the company to attract top talent, build trust with partners, and consistently deliver for audiences.
“When we started Omaha, we said we wanted to focus on working with the best people,” Horowitz said recently. “We borrowed a line (former ESPN President) George Bodenheimer used to say at ESPN — ‘The people are our most important asset.’”
According to an industry source, Omaha is widely regarded as “one of the most promising new entrants in sports and entertainment media,” praised for its mix of creative ambition and disciplined execution.
As The NFL Playback prepares for its debut on Vice Sports later this year, it marks another milestone in Omaha’s evolution — and another reminder that the partnership between Manning and Horowitz is building far more than just a production company.
It’s building a brand rooted in trust, connection, and a belief that what unites us might be stronger than what divides us.