Tom Brady’s ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders has received plenty of attention dating back to last October, largely because he also serves as Fox’s lead NFL analyst. But it’s another of Brady’s ownership ventures that’s about to take center stage in a new Amazon Prime Video docuseries.
Before aligning with the Raiders, Brady made his first move into sports ownership in 2023 by becoming a minority owner of Birmingham City F.C., a club that competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English soccer.
On Thursday, Amazon’s Prime Video released the first trailer for its upcoming five-part series, Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues, which chronicles Birmingham City’s push for promotion to the Premier League and Brady’s role as Chairman of the Advisory Board. The series offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges facing the club and how one of football’s biggest names is trying to make an impact in a different kind of football.
“This is not a vanity thing,” said Brady, of his role as a minority owner of the club. “Let’s get our hands dirty.”
According to a press release, Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues will also feature extensive appearances from Birmingham City’s first-team players and head coach Chris Davies, along with historical context about the club’s legacy within English football.
The docuseries follows a now-popular trend among sports fans: American celebrities spotlighting their ownership stakes in international soccer clubs. Perhaps the most successful example is FX’s Welcome to Wrexham, which chronicles the rise of Wrexham A.F.C. — another EFL Championship side — under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (Mac). The series has been a breakout hit, recently renewed for a fifth season.
Its success has even inspired a spinoff. Necaxa, set to premiere August 7, will follow Club Necaxa of Liga MX, Mexico’s top league, and explore the club’s ties to a group of celebrity investors that includes Eva Longoria and Mesut Özil.
There’s clearly a growing appetite for behind-the-scenes content focused on clubs within the English football pyramid. And with Tom Brady’s global star power leading the way, Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues is poised to generate plenty of buzz when it debuts on Prime Video on August 1.