Watch These Sports Documentary Series

Figure 1 The Last Dance is a fascinating documentary series

The appeal of sports documentaries is undeniable and completely understandable. With such natural passion, drama, and heartbreak, sports is a TV director’s dream and in recent years we have been fortunate enough to be able to watch some of the best sports documentaries of all time.

There are plenty of feature-length films that we could also mention, such as Hoop Dreams and When We Were Kings. But with just about everyone streaming these days, there has never been a better time to just settle down and binge watch a limited series.

Not all of the best sports documentary series and films will be about players and teams that feature on the best sportsbook online. But the sheer drama of the ones that we profile here will have you on the edge of your seat.

Quarterback

Made in conjunction with the NFL, this Netflix production follows three of the league’s quarterbacks throughout the entire 2022 season. Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota are the stars of the show, each representing a different level and experience of player in one of the world’s toughest leagues.

Each quarterback wore a microphone for every game of the season, allowing fans to see – and hear – exactly what goes on on the field of play. But we also get to see how the three team leaders live their lives away from the sport. And with the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl and Mahomes claiming the MVP awatd, the makers of the show really lucked out.

Bill Russell: Legend

This show just about sneaks into this list, with just two episodes making it a very limited series. But in over three hours of footage we get to learn everything about the extraordinary life of a true NBA legend. Bill Russell won more championships than any other player and was famously said to have had “more rings than fingers”.

Widely considered to be one of the best basketball players of all time, Bill Russell was also a hugely important figure off the court. A civil rights activist throughout his life, Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2011. This show is a fitting tribute to a great man.

Last Chance U

There is an element of take your pick with this one because there are actually two different Last Chance U series. The original followed the student athletes at a junior college as they attempt to use their “last chance” of getting into a Division I school and a shot at playing in the NFL.

We get to see how these players, often with heartbreaking stories of deprivation, struggle to get through the system and into the professional major leagues. There are five seasons following football programs, as well as spin-off series that switched attention to the similar stories of basketball-playing athletes.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive

This documentary series is so popular that it is credited with making Americans interested in Formula 1. Previously, motorsports like NASCAR had ruled the roost in the US but this series following the drivers in F1 provided the organization with an entire country of converts.

There have now been five seasons of show covering the races throughout the year and gaining incredible access to some of the biggest names in the sport. It is not a stretch to say that this high-octane drama is the main reason why there has been more US involvement in F1 in the last few years.

All or Nothing

The original All or Nothing premiered in 2016 and followed the Arizona Cardinals over the course of an NFL season. But, seven years later, we have now been able to enjoy watching professionals go about their daily routine in sports as diverse as soccer, hockey, and rugby union.

The football series were interesting enough, as well as the brief visit to college football with the Michigan Wolverines, but it is the soccer seasons that really hit the spot. The producers somehow managed to time their involvement perfectly to coincide with pivotal campaigns for Manchester City, Spurs, and then Arsenal.

Figure 2 All or Nothing: Arsenal went behind the scenes at the Emirates

Welcome to Wrexham

We are prepared to bet good money that you have heard of this one. Taking the sports documentary series format in a whole new direction, Welcome to Wrexham tells the story of how two Hollywood stars bought one of the oldest soccer clubs in the world, that (at the time) was playing in the fifth tier of the English game.

Many viewers will not have even heard of Wrexham AFC, or even known that it is a Welsh club playing in the English soccer leagues, before this show first aired. But the way Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ lives have been changed by their involvement with the club and the local community has been a joy to watch over the two seasons so far. A third season has now been announced.

The Last Dancef

Even with some of the superstar players in the NBA right now, Michael Jordan is still considered the G.O.A.T. when it comes to basketball. He won it all as a player and then went on to be a team owner for a while as well. The Last Dance was probably fortunate to be released when live sports had disappeared because of the COVID pandemic but we think it would have been a hit at any time.

The series follows Michael Jordan as he attempts to win his sixth championship ring in what would be his final season with the Chicago Bulls. For a series that had full endorsement by the man himself, we are granted incredible access and insight, as legendary players such as Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman aim to make the last dance a memorable one.