The Bengals organization is in the midst of a renaissance that started in 2020. A total overhaul in philosophy that coincided with the drafting of quarterback Joe Burrow. Coincidentally, this was the same time that I, Seth, joined the team as the Director of Content. In 2023, after three years of excruciating efforts to build up the Bengals content team and a Super Bowl, it became apparent that there was a special story around the team that needed to be told, and From the Jungle was the best format for it.
A weekly docu-series is a labor-intensive effort that normally requires 20-30 bodies working around the clock on a given week. The show was weekly as it would provide the airtime and spot inventory necessary to make the show profitable. Not to mention, the show is reliant on access. Something that the players and coaches are very protective of. If we have no access, we have a boring show, and the voluntary efforts from the players were typically contingent on their on-field success.
From the Jungle airs weekly on local television and Youtube. We knew the amount of content we could collect in a given week would not fill a show, and the amount of labor required would make the project cost-prohibitive. Therefore, we split From the Jungle into two versions. There was From the Jungle that would tell the story of the season, and it would alternate with From the Jungle Specials which would focus heavily on off-the-field stories. Altogether, each season has 17 episodes.
By switching to this split show format, the content team was capable of producing episodes during the six-month offseason. This also reduced the number of employees necessary to support the show to just three full-time employees.
During the season, we utilize practice wires (mic'd ups), community events, fan stories, player hobbies, Bengals events, and game recaps to fill a typical show. Each type of shoot has its challenges, so the team has to be extremely flexible and capable of a multitude of production skills.
Despite the performance on the field, From the Jungle quickly became the most-watched content series on the Bengals channels when measured by watch time. We attribute this to the fact that every episode had a compelling character story to tell. Even if the team would lose, each episode would be narrated by the primary character and fans would tune in just to hear what they had to say.
In addition to the viewership success, the show was profitable in its first season and most importantly, it proved to strengthen the relationship between the team, fans, and city. It was the perfect instrument to properly convey org messaging to the public, even when the performance on the field was lackluster.
