23rd January 2026
January 23 – Manchester United are exploring how to monetise their storied history, without handing control of the present to a documentary crew with too much access and not enough mercy.
According to _The Athletic_, United have agreed a deal with Hollywood production company, Lionsgate, to develop a scripted television series based on the club’s history. This would be a dramatisation rather than a fly-on-the-wall documentary, with comparisons drawn to the drama series, _The Crown_ in tone and structure.
Casting, platform, release dates, and even the precise era to be covered are all undecided, though the British writer Jed is reported to have held early conversations around the project.
Founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR FC, the club has spanned multiple generations of incredible highs and one of the biggest tragedies to ever hit English football. The Munich Air Disaster of 1958, which claimed the lives of eight players in Germany, remains one of football’s most devastating chapters. Set against that is the Sir Alex Ferguson era of relentless dominance and a global brand built on winning. It is an emotional arc tailor-made for scripted television rather than vérité documentary.
The content of production also reflects caution. United have previously spoken with Disney and most recently agreed a reported £10 million deal with Amazon for an _All or Nothing_\-style series, following Arsenal and Tottenham down the same path. Those projects bring money, reach, and access however, when results dip, documentaries have a habit of freezing failure in high definition. Just ask Jose Mourinho.
In United’s case, then-head coach Ruben Amorim is said to have raised concerns with minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, leading to the Amazon project being shelved. Eighteen months later, Amorim is gone.
Scripted drama offers control with the club manipulating moments, the tone, the heroes, and the villains. In this potential deal, United is betting that its past is the better story to sell than its current travails.
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