‘A beauty pageant in athletic form’: how cheerleading show America’s Sweethearts became a Netflix megahit
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- America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 3 premiered on Netflix on June 16, 2025, and quickly became one of Netflix's most-watched shows, cracking the global Top 10 since its 2024 debut like the DCC's previous CMT predecessor but with worldwide reach.
- Kleine Powell, a DCC All-Star, was one of five cheerleaders who secured a historic 400% pay rise for the group in 2025 — a negotiation she attributes directly to the millions of eyes from the Netflix series, after DCCs had reportedly earned only $15 an hour plus appearance fees.
- Greg Whiteley, the show's director, said Season 3 had to acknowledge that the cheerleaders "have become more famous than they were before we arrived," making it the first season to confront the show's own impact on the institution it documents.
- DCC director Kelli Finglass, who has led the squad since 1991 after dancing from 1984 to 1989, voiced new concern in Season 3 about "who's here for the right reason," as hopefuls now audition for a fame engine with a clear influencer pipeline, drawing guest judges like Kacey Musgraves.
- Finglass told the Guardian the show's reach means "privacy is not really a commodity any of us have any more," with DCCs now recognized by name at grocery stores and airports thanks to followings ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions on Instagram and TikTok.
- Powell regularly posts YouTube skincare routines and day-in-the-life vlogs every Thursday, framing her social media presence as advocacy for teammates — a stance that drew pushback from Finglass in a tense on-screen scene over whether she was "pouring" into teammates or social media.
Why it matters: The 400% pay rise for DCCs — from a reported $15/hour baseline — shows the Netflix series has converted what was a regionally niche brand into leverage for labor action against a billion-dollar franchise, while also blurring the line between cheerleading squad and influencer roster in ways Finglass herself now openly questions.
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