What are the best streaming services for sports documentaries?
It’s probably won’t surprise you to hear that the two major streaming services are up at the top of the sporting documentary list. Given the vast range of content both have in their catalogues, and with so much on-demand content available from every channel, just where should you go for some superb sporting TV when there isn’t a game on?
All of the following services are available using StreamLocator, and all of them have a great selection of sports shows as well as regular live-action matches and games. We’re going to take a look into some of those shows and why you should add them to your must-see lists.
Our top picks for streaming sports movies and documentaries:
Other ports specific channels available on StreamLocator:
Where do we start? There’s almost too many to choose from. Here are just a few of the amazing sports documentaries you’ll find on Netflix.
Drive to Survive – Whether you’re an avid Formula 1 racing fan or not, you'll soon become transfixed with this engaging study of the sport from all kinds of angles. With every episode, you'll learn something new about managers, drivers, and owners on track days and the impact on friends and family supporting every each of them, on and off the track.
Last Chance U – Sidestepping the celebrities of the NFL, Last Chance U follows college football players with the greatest potential that didn’t have the grades or disciplinary record required to get them into a Division 1 school. These are the heartbreaking stories of their personal and family lives and inspirational stories of support from amazing counsellors and coaches.
Cheer – Despite being a less obvious choice over a particular player and top-team profiles hitting the headlines for every type of behavior, Cheer delivers something quite unique. The series follows the pressures applied to male and female cheerleaders and how the demand for perfection affects their family lives, grades, and more. Not what you’d typically expect, but an addictive and enthralling watch, all the same.
All or Nothing – Amazon’s sports documentary brand covers a range of sports. Each season concentrates on a different team in a different sport, following them through the season. It’s not just an in-depth look at our favorite sports and teams, but the personal lives of the players and professionals lining up to face the daily pressures their roles bring.
If you’re a fan of UK soccer, you can pick between Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur. If you’d rather learn more about the New Zealand All Blacks, the Brazilian national football team, or any one of several NFL franchises, Amazon’s got just what you need.
Diego Maradona – Possibly one of the greatest and most controversial footballers of all time. Filmmaker Asif Kapadia creates a compelling picture from archive footage and interviews with close friends of a journey into the flawed genius. Debating his exploits on and off the pitch, this enlightening exposé dives into Maradona’s connection to the organized crime underworld and his cocaine addiction.
Andy Murray: Resurfacing – Not the wildest man in sport, but this Amazon Prime sports documentary captures your heart in different ways to harder hitting, edgier sporting celebrity stories. Understanding exactly what it takes to be a professional sportsman in such a competitive arena, delivered by the long, painful, devastating, and emotional journey out of a winning career and the battle back in shows what it really takes to overcome one of many massive, sporting challenges.
HBO Max is a great one-stop solution for sports fans, with plenty of quality sports content on top of your everyday news and entertainment programming.
Hoop Dreams – Audience Award Winner for Best Documentary at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. A lengthy 3-hour film that feels far shorter covers the paths of youth basketball talents William Gates and Arthur Agee as they climb the ranks to the NBA. As much about growing up black and poor in early 90s Chicago as it is about basketball, Hoop Dreams is well worthy of its Sundance accolade.
Tyson – Renowned as one of the most fascinating insights into a sporting celebrity of all time. Boxing legend Mike Tyson was known for hitting the headlines for just as many of the wrong reasons as those down to his talent. A real eye-opener for boxing fans.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention ESPN Plus’ 30 for 30. ESPN continues to deliver outstanding episodes of its award-winning sports documentary series, and for true sports fans, they make unmissable viewing.
The Last Dance – An 8-hour Emmy-winning series covering the Chicago Bulls 1997–98 season, a season that included Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s 6th and final title.
The Two Escobars – An outstanding piece, driving how the year that included the murders of both soccer legend Andres Escobar and drug lord Pablo Escobar impacted the public image of Columbia.
June 17th, 1994 – An acclaimed 30 for 30 episode. Major events played out in all the biggest sports events: NBA, NHL, MLB, and the World Cup, yet all became overshadowed by the news of O.J. Simpson’s car chase. Footage from each event created a riveting snapshot of the America of its time.
Run Ricky Run – Ricky Williams’ talent was something special, but his battles with mental health problems were less clear than his talent on the field. A striking study into a complex sports enigma.
According to the BBC itself, these are the five sports documentaries on iPlayer that need to go to the top of your list. The BBC is world-renowned for creating great TV of every ilk, including the educational and social exploration into the world we live in.
Shame In The Game: Racism in Football – Full of player testimonies from different levels of the men’s and women’s game, we get an inside look at the horrific racial abuse they suffered at the hands of the fans.
Bury: Bringing Football Back – The story of how Bury FC’s expulsion from the Football League caused devastation among the community and how a group of fans refused to give up and ensured play continued—even in the middle of the pandemic.
Step Into the Ring – One of the most touching sports docs on iPlayer. We follow three men training to become wrestlers with coach Zak Knight. Although this doesn’t sound anything out of the ordinary, when you learn that one of the trainees is battling PTSD, one autism, and the other is blind, this program becomes something entirely different to how it might first appear.
The Price of Gold – The story of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, both US Olympic figure skaters looking to win gold. From opposite ends of the social tracks, their treatment within the sport was reflected accordingly. This documentary dives into the social-class analysis that the sporting industry too often delivers.
Once Were Lions – The Great Britain Lions finally returned to tour New Zealand and Papua New Guinea after 12 years out of the game. An investigation into class, masculinity, racial dynamic, and how the Rugby League culture is rooted deeply in the northern working-class communities.
Whatever you choose to watch off-season, StreamLocator has got you covered. With so many streaming services to choose from and so much superb behind-the-scenes sporting interest to dig into, you’ll never be short of something to watch.
Check out our entire list of available streamers, and pick the shows to put on your must-see watch-list now!
