From scripted teen dramas likeFriday Night Lightsto documentaries likeThe Last Dance, sports are a common theme in entertainment for the competitive personalities and inherent drama that they can draw out. Regardless of whether they focus on high school, collegiate or professional sports, the best sports shows find a way to make what can sometimes be a topic only sports fans enjoy intoa story about people who have to learn to navigate expectations and pressure, something that any audience member can relate to.
Now that the 2024 Summer Olympics have come to a close, fans may be eager to find something else to watch that might capture their attention withhigh stakes, intense pressure and the emotional hopes and dreams of athleteslike the Games did. While nothing can substitute for the real thing, here are some of the best sports shows to satisfy the same craving for athletic prowess and easy-to-root-for personalities.
10’All American' (2018 – )
Created by April Blair
This teen drama follows Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), a teenage football player who catches the attention of a Beverly Hills high school football coach.Inspired bySpencer Paysinger’s life, Spencer transfers to Beverly Hills High School from his school in South Crenshaw, Los Angeles and must learn to manage the change in his environment and his old and new relationships, all while staying focused and making a name for himself on his new team.
Despite Spencer’s struggles fitting in at his new school,he never loses sight of what football means to him and of the opportunities that it can provide. This groundsAll Americanin a story about football, despite the other boxes this show checks including high school drama, romance and challenges wrought from the merging of two different worlds. This CW show is perfect for viewers who want an entertaining teen drama mixed in with their sports content.
All American
9’One Tree Hill' (2003 – 2012)
Created by Mark Schwahn
Following a group of teenagers in Tree Hill, North Carolina,One Tree HillstarsChad Michael Murrayas Lucas ScottandJames Laffertyas Nathan Scott, who play half-brothers forced to co-exist on their high school’s basketball team. With the pressure to win coming from both their over-demanding father and their school,the tension between the two comes to a head often and threatens both of their love for the sport.
This teen drama surrounds the lives of the students at Tree Hill High School, including storylines about teen pregnancy, single parenthood, and friendship conflict. Basketball can sometimes take a back seat within the show’s main plot lines, but whether it’s a game looming in the distance that the players are training for, or a pickup game at the river court,One Tree Hillalways finds its way back to basketball.
One Tree Hill
8’QB1: Beyond The Lights' (2017 – 2023)
Directed by Peter Berg
Each season ofQB1: Beyond The Lightsfollows three quarterbacks from different schools across the country during their last football season. Audiences watch these young stars navigate their recruitment to college teams, manage school and family and prepare for a major change in their athletic and personal lives.
Highlighting the stories of now nationally known professional football players such asJustin FieldsandJake Fromm, this documentary gives viewers a chance to get to know these quarterbacks before they make it to the Saturday or Sunday Night football lineup, providinga more grounded and intimate perspective on what it takes to build a nationally recognized player. Football is the main driver of this series, butthe documentary’s close look at these young men’s livesallows for a greater appreciation of the type of commitment required to pursue football at a high level.
QB1: Beyond the Lightsis available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
WATCH ON TUBI
7’Make It or Break It' (2009 – 2012)
Created by Holly Sorensen
Kaylie Cruz (Josie Loren), Payson Keeler (Ayla Kell) and Lauren Tanner (Cassie Scerbo), stars of the elite gymnastics training club The Rock, navigate friendship struggles, family woes and elite competition in this teen drama from Freeform. This drama never shied away from heavy topics, doing justice to storylines from infidelity and divorce to eating disorders and sexual abuse.Make It or Break Itcombined high school dramawith the immense responsibility of pursuing an Olympics-worthy gymnastics career.
While shedding light on the home lives of its main characters,Make It or Break Itmade sure to always bring it back to gymnastics. The friendship between Kaylie, Payson, Lauren and their new teammate Emily Kmetko (Chelsea Hobbs) was integral to the way the girls performed in competition and who was gunning for whose spot on the podium. The combination of highly competitive personalities with boyfriends, expectant parents and overeager coaches made for a highly dramatic sports show.
Make It or Break It
6’Spinning Out' (2020)
Created by Samantha Stratton
Set in Idaho,Spinning Outfollows Kat Baker (Kaya Scodelario), a talented ice skater with a complicated backstory. Kat has been managing her bipolar disorder for a while now, and has recently struggled to get her confidence back in the rink after a head injury she sustained while competing. When a pairs skater named Justin Davis (Evan Roderick) is in need of a new partner, she manages to work up the courage to help him out.
Spinning Out’shonest portrayal of mental illnessand the effects it can have on loved ones and one’s commitment to an elite sportis the standout in this sports drama. With its portrayal of the ins and outs of the pursuit of an athletic career, friendships complicated by competition, and how positive role models can help one manage a mental illness,Spinning Outgives the full picture of the reality of pursuing lofty athletic aspirations.
Spinning Out
5’America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' (2024)
Directed by Greg Whiteley
In this up-close and personal docuseries following a few members of the iconic Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC), fans get a new perspective on a group that has been in the reality TV spotlight for 15 years on CMT. Audiences get to meet rookies and veterans, as well as the directorKelli Finglassand head choreographerJudy Trammell. Shedding light on the physical and mental toll of the position, as well as the realities of their pay and their grueling schedule,America’s Sweetheartsgives a harsh reality checkto the lives of professional dancers.
From encounters with stalking, struggles with eating and exercise to remaining eternally polite and unflappable, the persona that a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader must uphold at all times is incredibly demanding.America’s Sweetheartssheds a light onwhat it’s actually like trying to take advantage of one of the most notable opportunities for dancers who wish to pursue a professional career. Viewers gain an intense amount of respect for the women who move their entire lives to Dallas to pursue a dream of theirs, especially as they witness the amount of determination and hard work required to don the uniform.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
4’Friday Night Lights' (2006 – 2011)
Developed by Peter Berg
Football is the main focus in this teen drama set in the fictional, small town of Dillon, Texas.Kyle Chandlerplays Coach Eric Taylor, a family man who loves football and coaches at Dillon High School. In a town where one loss can result in a yard full of For-Sale signs, Coach Taylor is tasked with taking care of the most sacred thing in Texas, all while helping his players excel not only on the football field, but in life as well.
The Dillon Panthers were always front and centeronFriday Night Lights, keeping football the focus, while maintaining a full cast of characters with relatable stories. Whether it was Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki) who just wanted to find her way out of Dillon to Brian “Smash” Williams (Gaius Charles) whose entire future revolved around his success on the football field,Friday Night Lightswas an incredibly realistic portrayal ofthe opportunities that sports can provide, but also of the ways that centering young people’s lives on a sport can hurt them in the long run.
Friday Night Lights
3’Untold: Swamp Kings' (2023)
Directed by Katharine English
In the third volume ofUntold, Netflix’s series of sports documentaries, fans learn about the reign ofUrban Meyerduring his time as head coach of the University of Florida Gators football team. Through the testimonials of famous former players likeTim Tebow, viewers get to know the behind the scenes of the six-season run of Coach Meyer, includingthe reasons he was hired, what the locker room was like under his watch and what it took to win two national championship titles.
This football documentarylets fans in on what it’s really like playing for a beloved football team in a place where winning is a must. With its honest portrayal of how difficult it can be to balance the expectations of coaches, teammates, the media and the state of Florida,Untold: Swamp Kingsputs audiences in the shoes of the college-aged kids who were thrust into the spotlight and expected to succeed under such intense pressure.
Untold: Swamp Kingsis available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
WATCH ON NETFLIX
2’Cheer' (2020 – 2022)
In this docuseries about the Navarro College cheerleading team, one of the best collegiate cheer programs in the country, audiences get an inside look at what it takes to meetthe exacting standards of head coachMonica Aldama, who has won seventeen national championship titles. Over two seasons, fans have seen the Navarro team take on their competitors in the annual National Cheerleading Competition held in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Cheergives audiences insight into the physicality of cheerleading, the pressure to make the mat for the competition and how tricky it can be to juggle a coach’s opinions and one’s own.Greg Whiteley’s characteristic highlighting of members of the program at different stages, from newcomers to coaches to old members, helps paint a full portrait of the life of a Navarro cheerleader,from the highest highs of winning the national championship title to the dread of losing out on a spot on the mat.
1’The Last Dance' (2020)
Directed by Jason Hehir
Legendary basketball playerMichael Jordanwalks fans through the 1997-98 basketball season of the Chicago Bulls in this docuseries, with the help of former coaches and teammates.Chronicling Jordan’s personal life during the season, the media coverage of the team and the struggles on and off the court, the series gave fans of the sport, and the Bulls specifically, a new perspective on Jordan’s mentality and life throughout his last season on the team.
The grit and tenacity required to be one of the most popular and skilled athletes of all time is on full display inThe Last Dance. Through testimonials and archival footage, the audience learns more about the story behind Michael Jordan’s success, adding weight to what was seen on television in real time. With its intimate look at the life of one of sport’s biggest stars, along with old footage of the glory moments from his career, this miniseries captures the attention of both loyal sports fans and occasional viewers.
The Last Dance
NEXT:The 10 Best Sports Docuseries on Netflix Right Now (August 2024)
