Building Buffalo - An NFL Network Documentary
On opening night NFL Network will debut “Building Buffalo” telling the story of the unsung heroes of the Bills Stadium Project and the race against the clock to opening day.
Building Buffalo tells the stories of the men and women who worked tirelessly for over three years to build the Buffalo Bills’ new Highmark Stadium. Through challenging conditions — grueling weather, around-the-clock shifts, and time away from loved ones — the workers brought the spirit of Buffalo to their work and built the stadium with love.
The premiere episode will air on NFL Network on Thursday, September 17 at 7:00 PM ET ahead of the first Buffalo Bills home game in the new Highmark Stadium. The series follows the laborers, tradespeople, architects, and contractors who worked tirelessly through extreme conditions to build the Buffalo Bills’ new state-of-the-art stadium – alongside current and former Bills players who help tell the story of what this project means for Buffalo.
Episode two of the series will air the following Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 PM ET. Five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle and four-time Buffalo Bills Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Club Winner Dion Dawkins (Founder, SHNOW VISION FILMS) is an Executive Producer and a central voice in the series, bridging the players and the team that built the stadium.
Featured in the documentary are Bills legends Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Steve Tasker, along with current players Damar Hamlin, Dawson Knox, DJ Moore and others. “I am so proud to be part of this project that celebrates the people who helped build the stadium and what it means to Bills Mafia,” said Dawkins. “The laborers are the offensive line of the job site, and telling the stories of unsung heroes who brought this stadium to life was an incredible honor.”
PREVIEW: Construction of the new Highmark Stadium
Building Buffalo
This series was created by Marley Clements (Co-Founder Bunker Studios, Former Executive Producer for VICE TV) and Andrea Purse (Supervising Producer for The Circus on Showtime; Producer of The Engineering That Built the World on the History Channel), and produced by We Build Entertainment Studios which prioritizes telling the stories of working people, in partnership with the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA). The team behind Building Buffalo includes Showrunner Grant DeSimone (Co-Founder, Bunker Studios) and Gareth Paul Cox (Cinematographer for A Football Life on the NFL Network, All or Nothing on Amazon Prime).
“Working on the new Highmark Stadium for nearly two years was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Andy Johnson, a laborer with LIUNA Local 210 who is featured in the film. “Building a new home for the Bills was special enough, but having that work documented for my friends, family and people across the country to see makes it even more meaningful. A lot of hard work, long days and pride went into this stadium, and I’m proud to have been part of it. I just hope we made Western New York proud. Go Bills!”
