Man United agree deal to create a TV show about Old Trafford | OneFootball

Manchester United have struck a lucrative deal to make a “dramatised retelling” of the club’s history, according to a new report.

Theatre of Dreams

The Athletic reveals an “agreement has been reached” between United and Lionsgate, an American production company, to create a show “similar in concept” to The Crown, Netflix’s historical drama about the British Royal family.

It is still in the “developmental phase” and is yet to be written or sold to a streaming platform, but famed writer and director Jed Mercurio – creator of the wildly popular BBC show, Line of Duty – is in talks to take on the project. Mercurio is a lifelong Red Devil and would be a natural pick to capture the history of the Theatre of Dreams on screen, though the 60-year-old omitted Eric Cantona from an all-time United XI.

Should the project take off, the agreement with Lionsgate would see the Red Devils “receive a guaranteed sum in the low multi-million pounds”.

This figure would grow, however, with “future royalties” being shared by both parties and the value increasing “based on the number of seasons, episodes and the size of any deal that is agreed.” The Crown, for example, ran for six seasons, with each edition becoming more valuable to Netflix upon release.

Where to start?

The Athletic states it is “not known at this stage” what parts of United’s long and storied history will be retold, but the report says there is no shortage of material which would “appeal to both avid fans and a more casual audience.”

“The most tragic came with the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, when 23 people, including eight United players, died after the team’s plane crashed on the way back from a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade. United’s manager Sir Matt Busby, who was seriously injured, subsequently rebuilt his team, leading United to a first European Cup in 1968.”

“United went 26 years without winning a league title until Sir Alex Ferguson turned them into English football’s dominant force, winning 13 Premier Leagues between 1993 and 2013, five FA Cups and two Champions League trophies, peaking with the treble in 1999.

“Along the way, United developed into one of the planet’s foremost sporting brands and boasted some of the most famous players on the planet, from George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law in the 1960s, through to Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney under Ferguson. United’s identity has also been shaped by local talent, with stars such as Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Marcus Rashford being nurtured at the club’s academy.

“While United have enjoyed huge success, they have also had periods of startling under-performance. They were relegated from the top flight in 1974 and have not won a league title since 2013, the year Ferguson retired.”

It is also unknown to what extent the club have “negotiated broad editorial control and approval” over the dramatised retelling, given the British Royal family were deeply unhappy with The Crown. The Glazers’ hostile takeover at Old Trafford, or Sir Jim Ratcliffe beating out the Qataris to become co-owner alongside them, would be storylines that an American audience, for example, would lap up.

United had previously been in secret talks over a “record-breaking Amazon Prime access-all-areas documentary for the 2025-26 season” last year, though ultimately withdrew after the Europa League final loss in May 2025.

“United spent several months negotiating a deal with Amazon towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Amazon’s offer was significantly more than £10million ($13.64m) and would have been its largest payment to a club for an “All or Nothing” series, having previously broadcast editions on Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

“Despite United’s most senior executives being across the discussions, the plug was pulled following the Europa League final defeat by Spurs, largely because head coach Ruben Amorim was not comfortable with the potential intrusion. Aspects of the commercial agreement and the time pressure to arrange matters ahead of the new season were factors, too.”

The present situation at Old Trafford is a little too close to home for United to sell the rights to; but the club’s history – as illustrious at times as it is tragic – is ready and available to be transported to the small screen.

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