North Carolina has backed out of its season-long documentary with Hulu, sources confirmed to Inside Carolina on Tuesday morning. This is reported to be due to how Bill Belichick’s first season as the Tar Heels head coach has taken a turn that nobody involved seems eager to broadcast to a national audience.
The eight-time Super Bowl winner was signed by North Carolina in December with much expectation, considering his dynasty with the New England Patriots across more than two decades in the NFL.
A coach with six Super Bowl rings as a head coach was coming to the college game, and Hulu wanted to capture every moment of it. The streaming service announced the project in August, with EverWonder Studio producing what was supposed to be an inside look at the program’s transformation.
North Carolina is backing out of its season-long Hulu documentary, FOS has confirmed, @InsideCarolina first.
The Tar Heels are 2-3 with multiple blowout losses to begin Bill Belichick’s debut season. pic.twitter.com/ajuQOaFy5x
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 7, 2025
That vision has now collided with reality, The Tar Heels opened their season with a 48-14 loss to TCU in Charlotte, the most points any Belichick-coached team had ever surrendered. They bounced back with wins over Charlotte and North Carolina Central, but these are outside the Power Four conferences.
The Tar Heels faced UCF two weeks ago, and the match ended in 34-9 defeat. Last Saturday brought a 38-10 loss to Clemson, a game that saw the Tar Heels trail 28-3 after the first half.
North Carolina is now 2-3 heading into its bye week. The team will return to action on Oct. 17 against California, which carries a 4-2 record into its own off week.
Season Gone Wrong for North Carolina
Hulu and North Carolina originally negotiated the deal over the summer, with discussions dating back to July according to reports. The project moved forward after an earlier attempt to partner with HBO for a Hard Knocks-style series fell apart.
Michael Lombardi, the Tar Heels general manager, explained that North Carolina wanted control over the narrative they were telling. The team needed a partner that would let them tell a story that extended beyond just the early weeks of the season. They found that partner in Hulu, or so it seemed.
North Carolina made this decision just five games into the season, with seven regular season games remaining on the schedule. The Tar Heels still have opportunities to salvage something from this year, as they still have winnable games lining in their schedule.
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