This streamer has the deepest library of sports documentaries
This streamer has the deepest library of sports documentaries
Whether you love underdog stories, historic championships, or personal triumphs, ESPN+ has it all.
A great sports documentary does more than show highlights - it tells the human story behind the unforgettable moments in sports history. They let you experience the intensity of a close game, the pressure of extreme expectations, and get you closer to understanding how the best athletes in the world achieve what us mere mortals only dream of. If you’re into comeback stories, intense rivalries, or a closer look at sports icons, there’s one streaming platform that consistently delivers: ESPN+. Here’s why I think it’s the best streamer for sports documentaries.
Everything you need to know about the best streamer for sports documentaries:
What popular sports docs can you stream on ESPN+?
In my mind, ESPN+ doesn’t get the top choice for sports documentaries on the basis of popularity alone. It may not have some of the most recent, hit sports docs or the ones that really made a culture splash. But instead, it wins on the sheer depth of its library.
For instance, it’s the exclusive home to ESPN’s “30 for 30” series, which includes over 100 documentaries covering everything from legendary teams and players to overlooked stories that shaped sports history. You can watch episodes about iconic figures like Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali, whose impact both inside and outside the boxing ring is dissected. The series also delves into the lives of controversial athletes like Lance Armstrong, giving insights into his career and the doping scandal that overshadowed his achievements. Plus, “30 for 30” covers historic teams like the Chicago Bulls, highlighting their dominance in the 1990s, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football program, known for their swagger and success in the 1980s.
“E:60” is another long-running sports documentary series available on ESPN+ that tells powerful stories from the world of sports, both domestically and internationally. Since launching in 2007, it has built a reputation for in-depth storytelling, focusing on personal athlete stories, major sports events, and the social issues connected to the games we watch.
ESPN+ also carries one of the most powerful sports docs in the last five years: “The Last Dance.” My wife doesn’t like sports at all, but we sat down to watch this together and she was enthralled. The 10-part series tells the story of Michael Jordan’s career and the Chicago Bulls’ incredible run during the 1990s, zeroing in on their dramatic 1997-98 season. It mixes never-before-seen footage with interviews from teammates, rivals, and celebrities, giving a close-up look at Jordan’s competitive mindset, the pressure of staying on top, and the behind-the-scenes tension within the team. When it was released, it wasn’t just a hit with basketball fans - it sparked a whole new wave of conversations about Jordan’s legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
For hockey fans, there’s the fascinating series, “This is Hockey” which explores how hockey is growing in places you might not expect, like Latin America and the Caribbean. It follows players, coaches, and fans from countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, showing how the sport is connecting communities and inspiring a new generation of athletes. The series captures the hard work and passion behind bringing hockey to these regions, with powerful stories of grassroots efforts and local heroes making the game more accessible. It’s a celebration of how far hockey has spread beyond its traditional roots.
If you want to know what makes the greatest quarterback of all time tick, ESPN+ carries “Man in the Arena: Tom Brady.” This 10-episode series takes a close look at Tom Brady’s incredible NFL career, focusing on his Super Bowl appearances and the key moments that shaped his path to becoming the GOAT. Each episode covers a different championship run, with Brady sharing personal stories about the highs, lows, and lessons he learned along the way. It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at his mindset, the challenges he faced, and how he stayed on top in such a competitive and physically demanding sport. Whether you’re a football fan or just curious about what drives elite athletes, it’s a fascinating watch.
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 2017 Academy Award-winning documentary, “O.J.: Made in America.” This five-part series dives into the life of O.J. Simpson, covering much more than just his football career. It explores how he became famous, his move into celebrity life, and how race, fame, and media attention shaped how the public saw him. The series also breaks down the murder trial that had the whole country watching and how it changed conversations around race and justice in America. With powerful interviews and real footage, it tells the full story, making it easier to understand why his case still sparks debate today.
Here are some of the popular sports documentaries you can stream on ESPN+:
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Man in the Arena: Tom Brady
November 16, 2021Tom Brady shares a personal account of his 10 Super Bowl appearances, deconstructing the milestones of his career by exploring each victory and defeat.
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O.J.: Made in America
May 20, 2016A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
“O.J.: Made in America” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2016.
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The Two Escobars
June 22, 2010Pablo Escobar was the richest, most powerful drug kingpin in the world, ruling the Medellin Cartel with an iron fist. Andres Escobar was the biggest soccer star in Colombia. The two were not related, but their fates were inextricably-and fatally-intertwined. Pablo’s drug money had turned Andres’ national team into South American champions, favored to win the 1994 World Cup in Los Angeles. It was there, in a game against the U.S., that Andres committed one of the most shocking mistakes in soccer history, scoring an “own goal” that eliminated his team from the competition and ultimately cost him his life. The Two Escobars is a riveting examination of the intersection of sports, crime, and politics.
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Be Water
January 25, 2020In 1971, after being rejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to his parents’ homeland of Hong Kong to complete four iconic films. Charting his struggles between two worlds, this portrait explores questions of identity and representation through the use of rare archival footage, interviews with loved ones and Bruce’s own writings.
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Long Gone Summer
June 14, 2020An examination of the 1998 MLB season and the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The two sluggers’ race to hit the most home runs, later overshadowed by the steroid scandal, left a permanent mark on baseball history.
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Four Falls of Buffalo
December 12, 2015In 1989, the Buffalo Bills were a talented team full of big personalities, including future Hall-of-Famers Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. Dysfunction and infighting ran as deep as the talent in their locker room, but the team known as “The Bickering Bills” would soon transform themselves into an elite force. From 1990 through 1993, the Bills went on an unprecedented run of AFC Championship victories, appearing in a record four straight Super Bowls. But what’s been remembered most is how those Super Bowl appearances played out, with the Bills losing all four. Along the way though, the Bills took part in some of the defining NFL moments of the era. Theirs is a heartbreaking tale, yet one that ultimately proves Jim Kelly and the Bills to be among the most perseverant group of players in NFL lore.
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Survive and Advance
March 17, 2013Documentary exploring the 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack men’s basketball team’s success after being the underdogs in the competitions.
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The U
December 12, 2009Throughout the 1980s, Miami, Florida, was at the center of a racial and cultural shift taking place throughout the country. Overwhelmed by riots and tensions, Miami was a city in flux, and the University of Miami football team served as a microcosm for this evolution. The image of the predominantly white university was forever changed when coach Howard Schnellenberger scoured some of the toughest ghettos in Florida to recruit mostly black players for his team. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing local Miami hip hop culture, these Hurricanes took on larger-than-life personalities and won four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben, a Miami native and University of Miami alum, will tell the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude of the game they played, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”
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The Best That Never Was
November 9, 2010In 1981, college athletic recruiting changed forever as a dozen big-time football programs sat waiting for the decision by a physically powerful and lightning-quick high school running back named Marcus Dupree. On his way to eclipsing Herschel Walker’s record for the most touchdowns in high school history, Dupree attracted recruiters from schools in every major conference to his hometown of Philadelphia, Miss. More than a decade removed from being a flashpoint in the civil-rights struggle, Philadelphia was once again thrust back into the national spotlight. Dupree took the attention in stride, and committed to Oklahoma. What followed, though, was a forgettable college career littered with conflict, injury and oversized expectations. Eight-time Emmy Award winner Jonathan Hock will examine why this star burned out so young and how he ultimately used football to redeem himself.
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Pony Excess
December 11, 2010From 1981-1984, a small private school in Dallas owned the best record in college football. The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University were riding high on the backs of the vaunted “Pony Express” backfield. But as the middle of the decade approached, the program was coming apart at the seams. Wins became the only thing that mattered as the University increasingly ceded power of the football program to the city’s oil barons and real estate tycoons and flagrant and frequent NCAA violations became the norm. In 1987, the school and the sport were rocked, as the NCAA meted out “the death penalty” on a college football program for the first and only time in its history. SMU would be without football for two years, and the fan base would be without an identity for 20 more until the win in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl. This is the story of Dallas in the 1980’s and the greed, power, and corruption that spilled from the oil fields onto the football field and all the way to the Governor’s Mansion.
What other streaming platforms carry sports documentaries?
While I think ESPN+ wins the trophy for best sports doc streamer, there are definitely a few other streaming services that deserve a shout-out. First, Netflix stands out as a close second to ESPN+ for sports documentaries, thanks to an impressive lineup of original content.
The platform offers critically acclaimed series like “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” which takes fans behind the scenes of the high-stakes world of Formula 1 racing. It also carries “Cheer, following the intense preparation of Navarro College’s competitive cheerleading squad. You can also stream the Oscar-winning film “Icarus,” which uncovers a massive doping scandal, and “The Redeem Team” which tells the inspiring story of the U.S. men’s basketball team reclaiming Olympic glory in 2008, all on Netflix.
Max ranks as another strong choice for sports documentaries, offering a mix of powerful originals and licensed content that covers a ton of different sports and athlete stories. Titles like “LFG” highlight the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s fight for equal pay, while “The Weight of Gold” explores the mental health challenges faced by Olympic athletes, with personal accounts from some of the most recognizable figures in sports.
Finally, as an Edmonton Oilers fan, I have to mention Prime Video and its excellent series, “Faceoff: Inside the NHL.” As difficult as this was to watch for me (the Oilers lost in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers in the Final), it was a great look behind the scenes at NHL stars like Connor McDavid going after their childhood dream: the Stanley Cup. Plus, Prime Video has “All or Nothing,” which offers unmatched access to professional sports teams, capturing every high and low across their seasons, while “The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team gives viewers an inside look at the Australian cricket team’s journey to rebuild its reputation after scandal.
Here are some of the popular sports documentaries you can watch on other streamers:
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Formula 1: Drive to Survive
March 8, 2019Drivers, managers and team owners live life in the fast lane - both on and off the track - during one cutthroat season of Formula 1 racing.
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Cheer
January 8, 2020The stakes on the mat are high, but for these cheerleaders, the only thing more brutal than their workouts and more exceptional than their performances are the stories of adversity and triumph behind the athletes themselves.
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Icarus
June 3, 2017While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, director Bryan Fogel connects with renegade Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country’s “anti-doping” program. Over dozens of Skype calls, urine samples, and badly administered hormone injections, Fogel and Rodchenkov grow closer despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia’s state-sponsored Olympic doping program.
“Icarus” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2017.
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The Redeem Team
October 7, 2022Using unprecedented Olympic footage and behind-the-scenes material, The Redeem Team tells the story of the US Olympic Men’s Basketball Team’s quest for gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing following the previous team’s shocking performance four years earlier in Athens.
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LFG
June 17, 2021Three months before the 2019 World Cup, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation. At the center of this no-holds-barred account are the players themselves–Megan Rapinoe, Jessica McDonald, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara and others–who share their stories of courage and resiliency as they take on the biggest fight for women’s rights since Title IX.
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The Weight of Gold
July 29, 2020Just like one in five Americans, many Olympic athletes similarly face serious mental health challenges and struggle to find the necessary support and resources. The Weight of Gold seeks to inspire discussion about mental health issues, encourage people to seek help, and highlight the need for readily available support.
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Faceoff: Inside the NHL
October 4, 2024This series gives unprecedented access to the National Hockey League’s biggest teams and most compelling players, all at different stages of their careers, as they embark throughout the season on the ultimate pursuit of glory – winning the coveted Stanley Cup.
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All or Nothing
June 30, 2016For the first time in history, Amazon and NFL Films present an unprecedented inside look at the lives of players, coaches and owners of a franchise over the course of an entire NFL season. Witness the real life, behind the scenes journey on the field, off the field, and everything in between.
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The Test
March 12, 2020A docuseries following the Australian Men’s Cricket Team, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s best cricket teams fell from grace and was forced to reclaim their title and integrity.
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Kelce
September 11, 2023An intimate and emotional documentary that chronicles Philadelphia Eagles team captain and All-Pro center Jason Kelce’s 2022 season, which began with him confronting one of the most challenging decisions any professional athlete will ever face—is now the time to hang it up?
