Sports documentaries are now a dime a dozen. From football to US sports to individual sports, there are tons of films and series. TECHBOOK has dug through this huge pool and picked out the 12 best documentaries for you.
Documentaries are fascinating and inspiring in many ways. Most of the time you learn secrets that have never been made public or see the actors from a completely different perspective. Documentaries can shed light on things, especially when it comes to athletes or sports. In a sports world ruled by money, documentary films and series are quite refreshing when exciting stories, biographies and secrets are told. TECHBOOK has put together a list of recommended sports documentaries and reveals where you can stream them.
Icarus (2017)
The topic of doping is unfortunately a very big and annoying issue in cycling. Lance Amstrong, Alberto Contador, Marco Pantani, Jan Ulrich and others – cycling has not only produced big names, but also a number of doping offenders. And that is the theme of “Icarus.” The filmmaker, director and amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel dares to try it himself and wants to take part in a cycling race using doping substances. But a crazy idea turns into a state offense. To prepare, Fogel contacted Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of the Russian anti-doping program. However, it later turns out that Rodchenkov set up a doping system in Russia to dope athletes.
After cycling had more or less picked itself up again after difficult times, this documentary shook the sport again. Based on the findings, “Icarus” was also awarded the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 2018 awards ceremony. The sports documentary can be seen on Netflix.
Fall into the Void (2003)
The mountaineering documentary “Fall into the Void” is not for the faint of heart. It is based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson from 1988. The story is about Simpson and his colleague Simon Yates, who climbed the Siuala Grande in the Peruvian Andes in the mid-1980s. Due to a snowstorm, Simpson had an accident and suffered various fractures in his right arm. Yates tries to help him, but the action fails and Simpson falls into a crevasse. However, Simpson somehow fights back and escapes from the gap.
The dramatic sports documentary is not only a recommendation for outdoor fans. It was directed by Kevin Macdonald, who showed many details of the true story from the book in the documentary. You can currently stream “Fall into the Void” on Prime Video.
Last Dance (2020)
The Chicago Bulls of the 1990s are legendary. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Luc Longley, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr etc. Many NBA fans know the core roster of the 90s Bulls. And “Last Dance” is also about the legendary team around Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson. The documentary not only shows unreleased material from the 1997/98 season, but also Jordan’s rise to “Goat” (short for “Greatest of all time”).
The mini-documentary series was positively received not only by basketball fans, but also by users who were not particularly interested in sports. If you want to watch the story of the 1990s Bulls about Jordan, you can do so on Netflix.
Senna (2010)
A tragic documentary about one of the best Formula 1 drivers in history: Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian with the distinctive yellow helmet won the World Championship three times and his driving style was legendary at the time. This is also why he was nicknamed “The Magic”. But in 1994 it came to an abrupt end. Senna had a fatal accident at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.
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The then Brazilian President Itamar France ordered three days of national mourning. More than three million people paid their last respects to the great Formula 1 driver in the funeral procession. The British director Asif Karpadia directed this documentary, in which many unpublished scenes can be seen and contemporary witnesses also have their say. “Senna” can be streamed via Prime Video with Arthaus+.
Sunderland ’til I Die (2018)
Rather a niche club, but for football romantics this sports documentary is a must. The focus is on the English football club Sunderland AFC. The documentary is not only impressive because of the club, but a big highlight is the fans and their love for Sunderland – as the title name directly suggests.
The two-season documentary series shows the everyday life, the victories and the crash of the club from the north-east of England. The football documentary can be seen on Netflix.
Quarterback (2023)
While American football was still a fringe sport in this country many years ago, that has changed significantly in recent years. In fact, the NFL – National League of Football, where “National” in this case once again stands for the USA – is considered the most expensive league in the world. In 2022, an NFL game took place in Germany for the first time. This is one of the reasons why the American football-loving community in this country continues to grow. At the right time, in the right place – that’s how you could describe the start of the documentary “Quarterback”.
The Netflix documentary takes a closer look at three quarterbacks in eight episodes; the position is considered the most important in the sport. First and foremost, of course, is the Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes. Also in front of the camera are Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikins) and Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons). The documentary provides many insights into the sporting but also private lives of the quarterbacks.
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The Killer in Aaron Hernandez (2020)
Football again, but completely different. The sports documentary “The Murderer in Aaron Hernandez” is exciting, tragic and disturbing at the same time. The life of the former NFL star, who then became a murderer, is shown in several episodes.
Players, friends and insiders, among others, have their say in the Netflix documentary. While Hernandez’s career was brilliant in the NFL world, he had major problems in his private life, including with drugs.
Schumacher (2021)
One of the greatest – if not the greatest – Formula 1 driver in history: Michael Schumacher. Record world champion, popular figure and popular with many colleagues and competitors. This is how Michael Schumacher’s nature and life can be summarized in a simplified manner.
The sports documentary shows the Cologne native’s life on the way to becoming a Formula 1 star until his tragic skiing accident. Not only his family has their say, but also many of the Ferrari legend’s companions. If you want to watch Schumacher’s story, you can stream it on Netflix. But the documentary has also been available on free TV every now and then since 2022.
Athlete A (2020)
Documentaries are not entertaining, but can also raise awareness of important topics. “Athlete A” definitely belongs to the second category. The systematic abuse of over 250 female athletes is discussed here. Larry Nassar, who was the doctor for the US Gymnastics Federation for years, is responsible for this.
The gymnasts describe the events and what they experienced at the hands of Nassar. In the documentary by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk you can see how the athletes fight for justice and testify in the trial against the doctor. You can stream “Athlete A” on Netflix.
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Being Jan Ulrich (2022)
You can find some exciting sports documentaries not only on the common streaming portals, but also on the public broadcasters. “Being Jan Ulrich” is one of the best. The rise and fall of the German cycling star is discussed in five episodes.
The documentary starts with Ulrich’s early career. He is considered a promising talent and shows his skills at a young age. Also captivating is his “eternal duel” with Lance Armstrong, who was considered invincible. But a doping scandal throws Jan Ulrich’s career into disarray until he announces his resignation. You can stream the sports documentary in the ARD media library. By the way: from November 28, 2023 you can watch another documentary series about the cyclist entitled “Jan Ullrich – The Hunted”, in which he himself has his say and will reveal many secrets, confessions and internal affairs.
Untold (2021)
If you would like to delve deeper into the world of sports, we recommend the sports documentary “Untold”. Many athletes from different sports have their say and describe many internal things and stories from their respective perspectives.
Caitlyn Jenner, Mardy Fish, Metta Sandiford-Artest (known as Ron Artest) and many others are portrayed in individual episodes and tell their sports stories. The documentary series with 17 parts is available on Netflix.
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Free Solo (2019)
This documentary is from the extreme sports category. The main protagonist of this sports documentary is Alex Honnold, a free climber without ropes or other technical aids. The film was directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who accompanied the athlete as he climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
The breathtaking documentary about the daring climb to the 1000m was awarded the 2019 Oscar for best documentary, among other things.
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