From UNCSA to Packers fandom: The inspiring journey of Cheesehead TV founders Nagler and Behnke

It was the annual tradition: every year, the new School of Drama students would each present a monologue to the rest of the conservatory. In 1996, a young freshman took the stand, the eyes of his upperclassmen, every Drama faculty member and then-Dean Gerald Freedman all upon him. He’d arrived at the school just days before and confidently prepared one of the most well-known monologues for this first performance.

“I’m Aaron Nagler, from Appleton, Wisconsin,” the freshman told his peers, “and I’ll be doing Hamlet.” 

The word “Hamlet” was still hanging in the air when someone from the back yelled, “Go Pack!” Just like that, Nagler was in his head. “It totally threw me off,” he recalls. He stumbles through his monologue and returns to his seat, directly next to Dean Freedman. From the row behind, upperclassman Corey Behnke leans between Nagler and the dean. To Nagler’s complete annoyance, Behnke once more utters the phrase: “Go Pack.” 

Eventually, Nagler forgave Behnke, and those two words became the foundation of both a decades-long friendship and a business uniting Green Bay Packers fans around the world: Cheesehead TV. First, however, would come years of study at UNCSA, acting in New York City, surprising career twists, and many, many phone calls.

Grandpa’s chair

Alumni Nagler and Behnke are both originally from Wisconsin, and the Packers were a fundamental part of their childhoods; at UNCSA, bonding over the team was natural. “The Packers – love them or leave them – they’re really a unifier for a lot of families in Wisconsin,” explains Behnke. “You leave and it becomes that ‘grandpa’s chair’ kind of vibe that you miss.” 

But while the Packers brought them together, acting drove them forward. Behnke and Nagler shared a love for acting from an early age – by high school, Behnke had already been acting steadily in Los Angeles and had a commercial acting agent, and Nagler had known acting was his passion from the first moment he set foot on a stage.  

At UNCSA, they both found a space where their creativity could reach new heights. “It was all about wherever your spark was – that was nurtured,” says Behnke. At the time, the School of Filmmaking was still new, and the potential for collaboration was limitless. Behnke played the villain in alumnus Danny McBride’s third-year film, which led to a role in “Romeo and Juliet.” 

“This freedom to do what you wanted, this ability to collaborate, it was just something we were encouraged to do,” he remembers. “The cross-pollination was real.” 

A dream come to life

After graduating, it was a whirlwind for Behnke. Right out of the gate, he started working, missing graduation to perform at the Magic Theater in San Francisco, then heading to New York City as an understudy for Terrence McNally’s off-Broadway “Corpus Christi,” directed by alumnus Joe Mantello. “I was doing two or three shows per year for the first couple of years,” Behnke remembers. “It was good – I loved New York.”  

It was like my whole dream had come to life. When I was five years old in Wisconsin, all I wanted was to be acting in New York. And then there I was.

Aaron Nagler

A couple of years later, Nagler graduated and joined Behnke in the city, performing in small off-Broadway productions. He worked at Manhattan Theater Club in their development program, meeting people from all over the theater world and collaborating with playwrights to mount new productions. “It was like my whole dream had come to life,” Nagler describes. “When I was five years old in Wisconsin, all I wanted was to be acting in New York. And then there I was.” 

During this time, Behnke and Nagler stayed connected with epic weekly phone calls centering around the Packers. Even as both men’s lives transformed, these animated football discussions continued. 

What’s a podcast?

When Behnke was 25, he stepped on a broadcast truck for the first time and left acting behind, completely engrossed in his newfound passion. Across the continent, Nagler was touring the Broadway production of “Full Monty” and called home from a Dennys on Thanksgiving. On the other end of the line, Nagler’s daughter was crying, “When are you coming home,” and he realized he missed his family too much to continue his acting career. He found a nine-to-five position and settled into being a parent. 

But Nagler still needed a creative outlet. He began blogging about the Packers, writing just for himself under the title “Aaron Nagler’s Football Report.” Until one week, in 2007, Behnke had an idea. “Let’s do a podcast,” he said. Despite Nagler’s initial response of, “What’s a podcast,” the idea clicked, and “Packers Transplants” was born: a weekly podcast covering all the latest on the Green Bay Packers. The friends created the website Cheesehead TV to house the podcast and additional content. 

In the beginning, each podcast episode was like writing a play. Nagler and Behnke took it incredibly seriously and would record seven takes – over four hours – to produce one 20-minute episode. Slowly but steadily, they built a fan base and grew more comfortable with this style of performance. 

A lifeline to community

Both Nagler and Behnke were simultaneously building their careers. Nagler had positioned himself as an expert on the Packers and, as a natural on air,was picked up by Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, and finally, Gannet to cover the Packers full time. Meanwhile, Behnke co-founded his own streaming company, Live X, a full-service production company, designing, producing and broadcasting live events for global brand leaders (if you’ve watched the live broadcast of New Year's Eve in Times Square, you’ve watched the work of Live X).

Still, the friends grew their Cheesehead TV business. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 Pandemic, however, that Behnke and Nagler truly realized what they’d built. The “Packers Transplants” podcast, online watch parties, and other Cheesehead TV content offered fans a virtual connection to their team and each other. As the world shut down amid the coronavirus, fans used Cheesehead TV as a lifeline to their community. 

Today, Cheesehead TV is bigger and better than ever. They’re the first independent fan site to be officially credentialed, Nagler became their first official employee, and Nagler and Behnke have managed to make their passion project sustainable for the years to come. Just last year, they partnered with Gathering Place Brewing Co. to develop a Packers-themed, Cheesehead TV-branded beer, “Carry the G,” which has had incredible success across Wisconsin, quickly becoming the token beer of tailgating Packers fans. 

United in green and yellow

As Behnke and Nagler meet their fans at launch parties for “Carry the G” and other events, they’re often reminded of the real service Cheesehead TV offers. It’s the 70-year-old excitedly buying two cases of their beer to ship to his out-of-state sons, telling them, “I’m going to be the best dad.” It’s the young man sharing how his best friend recently died and how, when he’s tuned into Cheesehead TV, it feels like he’s watching games with his friend again. It’s the early messages they received from service members stationed around the world, telling them their content was like an oasis. 

“So many people have written and talked to us about how important it is to them,” says Nagler. “It opened my eyes – this is bigger than us. It impacts people’s lives on the regular. It’s an incredible community, and we’re their conduit to the team.” 

So many people have written and talked to us about how important it is to them. It opened my eyes – this is bigger than us. It impacts people’s lives on the regular.

Aaron Nagler

While Behnke and Nagler’s careers have taken their turns, their love for the Green Bay Packers has remained constant. The team brought them together as aspiring actors at UNCSA, kept them connected throughout whirlwind acting careers in New York City, and continues to unite them with cheeseheads across the world.

by Sasha Hartzell

Get the best news, performance and alumni stories from UNCSA.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)