Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning on Creating Hulu Series ‘It’s All Country’

The series was Manning’s idea. “When Peyton first came to me about doing this show in our country music space, I loved the idea,” Bryan tells Billboard. “I had seen his previous work in the NFL space and knew this could really be special for our fans. It really became such a conversational piece that I don’t always have the opportunity to do with my peers.”

For Bryan, getting to spend in-depth time with his fellow artists yielded far more rewards than he could have ever hoped. “It was honestly so much more than I envisioned going into the filming,” he says. “Each one gave us pieces of their stories that I had never heard before, and I think the audiences will also feel the same.”

Manning calls himself a “lifelong” fan of country music, “but co-hosting the CMA Awards has made me a lot more knowledgeable in the space,” he tells Billboard.

“A few years ago, the team at Omaha asked me what some of my passions and interests were outside of sports,” Manning continues. “I’ve always been a huge country music fan. I’ve had the chance to host the CMA Awards the last few years and I go to as many country concerts as I can, so it was a natural fit to expand into this space and take a swing at producing a show that celebrates country music, like we’ve done in sports.”

In his role as executive producer, Manning says, “I just wanted to give a platform to artists to tell their stories. I enjoy watching the rough cuts and giving my two cents or suggestions and seeing the episodes come to life.” He opened up his rolodex when it came to booking the series. “Early on in production, the producers gave me a target guest list, and I went through and said, ‘I can text Luke Combs’ or ‘I’m a fan of Sheryl Crow,’ and we went from there,” Manning says. “I’m proud of all the different artists featured in the show – they’ve all had their own unique experiences and made an impact on country music.”

Manning admits he had a soft spot for Lady A, the only group featured in the first season. “Coming from a team sports background, the episode with Lady A resonated with me in particular,” the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback says. “I can understand how critical that relationship with your bandmates or teammates is. The viewer gets a taste of how they’ve navigated all their success as a group, supporting each other like teammates in a locker room.”

As far as other series he may want to be involved in, Bryan isn’t limiting himself. “Oh gosh, you never know with me,” he says. “I’m the type that stuff is constantly popping in my head. It comes down to weeding through the ideas that people around me feel best serve our industry and fit my overall brand.  Very thankful to have this opportunity.”

Bryan and Manning will be joined by Lainey Wilson as co-hosts of the CMA Awards, airing Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.