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Entertainment • Web series

17776

17776, also known as "What Football Will Look Like in the Future," is a 2017 speculative fiction multimedia web serial by Jon Bois, published by SB Nation.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

17776, also known as "What Football Will Look Like in the Future," is a 2017 speculative fiction multimedia web serial by Jon Bois, published by SB Nation. It is set in a distant future where humans are immortal and infertile, and follows three sentient space probes observing an evolved form of American football.

Premise

The narrative imagines a far-future Earth where humanity has become immortal and infertile. In that setting, people occupy themselves with increasingly elaborate versions of football.

Format

17776 is presented as a multimedia web serial rather than a conventional prose novel. Its chapters use scrolling web pages, text conversations, video, and animated or embedded media. The story ran as a daily release in 2017 and concluded after 25 chapters.

Characters

The story is primarily told through three self-aware space probes that observe humanity from afar. Sources identify them as Pioneer 9, Pioneer 10, and JUICE.

Publication

The project debuted on July 5, 2017, on SB Nation and published new chapters daily until July 15, 2017. It was released as a 25-chapter series.

Key facts

  • The story is a serialized online narrative combining text, images, video, GIFs, and other multimedia elements.
  • It takes place in a future where humans no longer age, die, or are born.
  • Its central characters are three sentient space probes, including Pioneer 9 and Pioneer 10.
  • The story explores an evolved version of American football played over enormous distances and timescales.
  • It ran as a daily release in 2017 and concluded after 25 chapters.

Frequently asked questions

What is 17776?
It is a speculative fiction multimedia web serial by Jon Bois about the future of American football.
Why is it also called What Football Will Look Like in the Future?
That is the work’s alternate title and describes its premise: a far-future version of football in a world where humans are immortal.
Who created 17776?
It was written by Jon Bois.
When was 17776 published?
It debuted on July 5, 2017, and concluded on July 15, 2017.
What is the setting of 17776?
It is set thousands of years in the future, after humans have stopped aging, dying, and being born.

References

  1. Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17776
    Supports: Title, alternate title, author, publisher, premise, release dates, chapter count.
  2. Science Meets Fictionhttps://sciencemeetsfiction.com/2017/10/15/web-serial-review-17776/
    Supports: Multimedia web-serial format, speculative fiction framing, probe characters, future setting.
  3. Poynterhttps://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2017/this-sb-nation-story-has-everything-robots-football-and-2-3-million-pageviews/
    Supports: SB Nation publication context and series release period.
  4. 34th Street Magazinehttps://www.34st.com/article/2026/04/17776-digital-sci-fi-storytelling-football-jon-bois
    Supports: Multimedia storytelling description and premise.