Why The Chiefs Participated In ‘The Kingdom’ Documentary

Travis Kelce and head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs react after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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After the Kansas City Chiefs won their second consecutive Super Bowl, a plethora of production studios reached out to chronicle their attempt at chasing history by winning a third straight.

Apple, Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and LeBron James’ SpringHill Company were among the companies to contact owner Clark Hunt, head coach Andy Reid, president Mark Donovan, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.

“We were overwhelmed by the demand,” Donovan exclusively shared.

The demand was obviously there, but why would the Chiefs want the intrusiveness of extra cameras and the potential extra scrutiny that brings as they sought a three-peat to cap the 2024 season?

“It’s another effort to continue to grow the brand,” Donovan said. “We’re a worldwide fanbase.”

It’s sounds business rationale, and the Chiefs will further market their global brand through “The Kingdom,” the six-episode docuseries, which drops Thursday. All six episodes will premiere on ESPN+ and Disney+, and ESPN will broadcast two episodes on Aug. 14, Aug. 19 and Aug. 20, respectively.

Although the Chiefs wanted to further broaden their exposure, they weren’t interested in a straight-up, behind-the-scenes chronicling of the 2024 season.

Instead they wanted something that would track the season while also charting the history of the Chiefs, which began with owner/founder Lamar Hunt, a forefather of the AFL who coined the term “Super Bowl.”

“It does an amazing job of following both of those paths,” Donovan said. “That’s what I’m really excited about.”

Choosing a Production Company

With so many studio options, the Chiefs went with Words + Pictures — the production studio run by many of the creators and producers of The Last Dance, the popular documentary on Michael Jordan’s sixth championship with the Chicago Bulls — in conjunction with ESPN, Skydance Sports, NFL Films, 2PM Productions and the Chiefs’ in-house Foolish Club Studios.

Words + Pictures founder Connor Schell was not only an executive producer on The Last Dance and ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, but the 1995 graduate of Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Mo., also grew up rooting for the Chiefs.

“He’s an authentic, passionate Chiefs fan,” Donovan said. “His knowledge of the (Chiefs) history was a huge advantage.”

Reid and Mahomes’ Reaction

The project didn’t end up being disruptive, though Reid was a bit reticent, joking that he only participated because his boss (Lamar’s son, Clark Hunt) told him to do so.

“They did a really good job of not being a distraction,” Reid said. “I worry about that, and (it’s) one reason I don’t like doing those things.”

Mahomes didn’t have to go out of his way to ask the videographers to cut certain items, though he did ask them to keep certain code words out of it for game-planning reasons.

After watching some of The Kingdom, the three-time Super Bowl MVP, who is in his ninth year with the franchise, actually learned new things about the Chiefs’ origins.

“I saw stuff that I didn’t even know. I thought I knew everything about the Kansas City Chiefs,” Mahomes said. “It’s a great documentary.”

Although the documentary might have been more noteworthy if the Chiefs had matched the Bulls by winning three straight championships, they still accomplished NFL history.

“We did by being the first team ever to be in three straight (Super Bowls),” Donovan said, “with a chance to a win the third in a row.”