High kicks, hair flips, and “Thunderstruck” blasting from the speakers of AT&T Stadium right into your living room: America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 hit Netflix on June 18, bringing more sisterhood, high-stakes dance auditions, and a game-changing 400% pay raise for the iconic squad. The first season of the behind-the-scenes series focused on football’s favorite cheer squad was full of realized dreams, heartbreaking cuts, and fascinating threads — and the second season picks up right at the start of the NFL 2024-25 season.
Directed by Emmy Award–winner Greg Whiteley (Cheer, Last Chance U), the first episode of the new season opens as the first did — with the grueling competitive tryouts that young women from all over the country come to Dallas to endure. DCC is the pinnacle of professional cheerleading, and Senior Director Kelli Finglass and Head Choreographer Judy Trammell, have returned to find the 36 best dancers from this smiling army of hopefuls.
“I have the ability to make a dream come true,” Finglass says in the first few minutes, “Or not.”
There are, of course, the physics-defying kicks and jump splits of “Thunderstruck,” the squad’s signature — and seriously difficult to master — routine set to the AC/DC song. And then, there are the tears and cheers as girls make or are cut from the final team.
There are plenty of familiar faces, including Kelli and Judy, as well as fan-favorites Reece and Kelly V, who show up throughout Season 2. Check out Tudum’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 guide to the rookie hopefuls and returning veterans — but remember, there’s no guarantee that any of them will make the final squad.
After an emotional final season with the DCC, fan-favorite Victoria will make an appearance in Season 2 — only this time, she’s taking on a whole new challenge. We also get to follow the stories of a new set of squad members and delve deeper into certain backstories, including issues navigating body image, social media scrutiny, domestic violence, mental health, and the overall cost that comes with always striving to be “perfect.” Read more about Victoria’s appearance in America’s Sweethearts Season Season 2 here.
One of the most potent discussions from Season 1 arose around the topic of salary — and that discussion is explored in Season 2, when audiences get an inside view of how certain members of the team approach issues of pay. What begins as a subtle subplot grows louder as the season unfolds — with veteran cheerleader Jada helping lead a quiet but meaningful effort to address dancer compensation.
“After Season 1 came out, and we had so many fans speaking up about our pay … we decided that it was a good time to now speak up and open up the conversation,” Jada tells Tudum. “There were days that we weren’t sure if we were going to go out on the football field, or if we were going to come to practice.”
Still, the women stood their ground, unified by a shared conviction that something needed to change. Their organizing led to a major outcome: By the end of the season, the team receives a staggering 400% pay increase.
“I think the elevated talent and the elevated visibility gave all of us a reason to reframe it. We work on program enhancements every year,” Finglass says. “And that could be from wardrobe to music to, of course, in this particular case, compensation. These are world-class dancers and their time commitment is a much larger time commitment than when we were cheerleaders…Everybody wanted the same thing and now our dancers are happy with our new program enhancements, and that makes us happy as coaches.”
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders premiered on June 18 and is streaming on Netflix now. The series is produced by One Potato Productions and Boardwalk Pictures in association with Campfire Studio with executive producers Whiteley, Adam Leibowitz, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Ross M. Dinerstein, and Rebecca Evans.
America’s Sweethearts is another element of Netflix’s ongoing relationship with the Dallas Cowboys, including America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, exploring the history of the Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones. Plus, on NFL Christmas Gameday 2025, you can watch the Cowboys take on the Washington Commanders live on Netflix from Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
