9 of the Best Sports Documentaries
By Distributel
Sports aren’t back yet and we’re not exactly sure when they will be. So, in the meantime, why not revisit past glories, learn new things, or discover new passions with these amazing sports documentaries?
Free Solo
Where to Stream: Disney+.
You know how it ends and yet your palms still get sweaty. Watch the world’s greatest free climber, Alex Honnold, free solo Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan. An incredible feat of athleticism, grit, and determination, this film will leave you inspired.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urRVZ4SW7WU
Baseball
Where to Stream: Apple TV.
One of the best Ken Burns documentaries ever, this eighteen-hour series (yes, really) touches on everything you’d ever want to know about America’s favourite pastime.
Senna
Where to Stream: Amazon.
Ayrton Senna won three Formula One racing championships by the age of thirty-three. Then, in 1994, he crashed in front of an audience of millions. This is a fitting tribute to one of the true greats and a supposition on what might have been.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfosF-ZAbR4
The Endless Summer
Where to Stream: Hoopla.
Hey, not all sports documentaries need to have super high stakes. This one is just about cool breezes and crashing waves and evokes a time when surfing was just about the coolest thing a kid could do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46NsCsTYUi0
Last Chance U
Where to Stream: Netflix.
If you’ve skipped this Netflix documentary series, go back and give it a shot. It follows US college football players struggling to remain in college football, whether because of legal troubles, poor grades, or personal trauma. The stakes are high and the show is compelling, even if you’ve never really followed college ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFzvBYFrhOc
No No
Where to Stream: Amazon.
On June 12, 1970, Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter while tripping on an unintentional acid trip. This is that story. Also, how baseball collided with pop culture in the late sixties and early seventies, the rise of civil rights, and the growing power of baseball players versus the owners.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCH4fAHtKBo
Hoop Dreams
Where to Stream: Fandor.
One of the greatest sports documentaries of all time, Hoop Dreams follows two boys on the road to basketball stardom in the NBA. From poverty to prep school to a shot at the top, this film (which clocks in at three hours) is one of the best portraits of what it means to put everything on the line for a dream. Hey, classics are classic for a reason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TRIx7oD3lo
The Last Dance
Where to Stream: Netflix.
Yes, this series is as good as you’ve heard. It captures something special about the Jordan era Bulls and is a look back with equal parts reverence and anger. And no matter your thoughts on basketball, the Bulls, Jordan, or any of the other heroes and villains of the team, you have to sit in awe of one of the greatest athletes of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peh9Yqf1GXc