Sport Documentaries have been around a long time with films such as When We were Kings (1996) and Hoop Dreams (1994) enthralling audiences as well as being a vehicle for social commentary. While scripted drama and documentaries continue to entertain us there is something about the risk and reward nature of the sports genre that keeps us on the edge of our seats.
The unscripted outcome inherent in sports as well as the personal trials and tribulations of the personalities involved make for compelling viewing. With social media and the proliferation of streaming platforms in the last 10 years there has been an explosion of content that has gained traction with sports fans, as well as the non-fan who enjoy the personal journeys that are often the emotional bedrock of the sport action.
Sport documentaries are the ultimate reality show. Everything that happens, the hi’s and low’s, the ecstasy and agony are all real and mirror our own frustrations and joy’s. Social Media has in many ways kick started the rise in the sport documentary as well as continuing to inspire the genre with deeper access and insight.
Before social media sports fans would buy magazines and posters to decorate their bedrooms with the favourite team or athlete. Now they can follow them in unprecedented detail with access to their training and personal lives and interact directly with them as well as sharing ideas with fellow fans. Sports stars have opened a window into their lives on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook producing their own mini episodic documentaries. Clubs and sport organisations have done the same with both parties controlling the narrative leaving traditional sport journalism playing catch up.

This change in consumer habits has not gone unnoticed by on demand media services such as Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and a plethora of others. The sports documentary had found a home here both in one off films and more often now in episodic content that offers in depth insight into a myriad number of sports. COVID 19 acted as an accelerator with shows such as The Last Dance released at a time when no live sport was being shown. Millions of people tuned in to the story of basketball legend Michael Jordan and his inspirational career with the Chicago bulls as they were stuck at home with time to gorge on TV Series.



It might seem improbable that football could be covered in any more detail given that ‘beautiful game’ is an obsession throughout the world. However, with the franchise shows such as All or Nothing Man City (2018), Spurs (2020) and Arsenal (2022) fans are given rare insights into the inner workings of the clubs from the manager, players, and staff. This Amazon Prime template has been widened to Germany and Serie A club Juventus. Indeed, the success of the doc series also covers other sports such as American Football, College Football, Ice Hockey, and Rugby Union. This genre has expanded with other shows such as Netflix’s Sunderland till I die, Take Us home Leeds and Last Chance U, but the mold was broken with the rags to riches reality show Welcome to Wrexham. This Disney + docuseries tells the unlikely story of the buying of non-league Welsh club Wrexham FC by Hollywood A listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny. Movie script writers would be hard pushed to match the inspirational story of the buying, development, and ultimate promotion to the Football League of the North Wales team. The show has been a hit around the world and in America increased interest in a game that has sometimes struggled for attention.
As much as these new on demand platforms have increased the exposure of the major sports watched around the world, it has more importantly given the space for other sports to shine. Some of the recent docuseries have focused on and sports such as Tennis with Netflix’s Break Point (2023), and Athletics with Sisters on Track (2021) which have both proven to be hugely successful.

Full Swing (2023) was an in depth look at professional golf and was prescient as its timing coincided with the start of the breakaway tour LIV which has shaken Golf to its core. Some sports that have benefited from the docuseries format and the space for them now available on streaming platforms are, The Deepest Breath (2023) about free diving, sailing with The Race of the Century (2012) and wrestling with Dark Side of the Ring (2019-2023). Cheerleading has gained the exposure it deserves with Cheer (2020-2022), the story of the Navarro team and their ups and downs as they complete to win the college national title.
The Sports Documentary and its popularity has given directors chance to produce culturally important work. Social justice, inequality, race, and politics are all now topics for the sports documentary to explore. Athlete A (2020) is about the young female gymnasts who were sexually abused by USAG’s team doctor Larry Nassar and their testimony which led to his imprisonment. Icarus (2017) uncovers the truth about doping in sport and LFG (2021), follows the US women’s soccer team World Cup win and more importantly their fight for respect and equal pay with their male counterparts. Hoop Dreams, tells of two black students who enter a predominately white system in their dream to become professional basketball players. This film touches on important cultural issues facing American society and has been chosen by the Liberty of Congress as a piece of work to be saved because it is ‘culturally, historically or aesthically significant.’
It seems there is nothing to halt the continued rise of the sport documentary, with even the on-going writers and actors strike in Hollywood meaning that unscripted content will be needed to fill the gap. Some people warn of the dangers of oversaturation of sporting content leading to documentaries finding it hard to stand out, but sport offers so many unique and rich stories this seems unlikely. Sport, along with true crime and celebrity are a staple of the big on demand platforms and show no sign of losing popularity. Social media will continue to give access into athletics lives, feeding fans desire to feel in touch with their favourite team or player.
Finally, sporting competition renews itself each year with the start of new seasons and events. This renewal offers hope and excitement for the fan and provides continued inspiration and stories for documentaries to exploit.
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