The 20 Best Sports Documentaries on Netflix in 2023

For those who got to watch Michael Jordan play and those that have only heard about legend of his career, The Last Dance is an incredible watch. With input from Jordan and his peers, it gives us a look behind the scenes at some key moments in his life and career such as "Be Like Mike", his alleged gambling addiction, the death of his father, and more never before seen footage.

Casual fans and golf fanatics alike have been captivated by the first season of Full Swing, which provides viewers with unparalleled access to players on the PGA tour. Between sit down interviews with the players and behind the scenes content of training and tournaments, viewers are able to get a glimpse inside of the minds of the best golfers in the world. Netflix announced that a Season 2 is in the works, with the premiere date yet to be released.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive is in its fifth season, with each one centering around that year's World Championship, telling the stories of fierce battles between the best of the best in Formula 1. Viewers have been drawn to the show for its portrayal of the suspense and intricacies of the sport -- both on and off the track.

Athlete A is an emotional and eye-opening expose of the abuse inside USA Gymnastics. The documentary details the decades of sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, who was a doctor within USA Gymnastics, and reveals the toxic culture that affected the lives of many gymnasts who were brave enough to tell their stories.

Though it may seem like Conor McGregor's outspoken personality leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the life and career of the MMA fighter, 'McGregor Forever' offers an all-access look at aspects of McGregor's life that goes way beyond what was ever seen before.

Neymar: The Perfect Chaos is a three-part series that takes viewers through the ins and outs of Neymar's life. Though the series centers around Neymar, there are guest appearances by many other bigs names in the sport. The Perfect Chaos gives viewers the chance to see one of the biggest athletes and personalities in the world in some of his most vulnerable moments.

When Cheer aired in 2020, audiences of all demographics were drawn in. The docuseries follows the nationally ranked cheer team from Corsicana, Texas known as the Navarro College Bulldog Cheer Team as they prepare for the National Cheerleading Championship in Daytona Beach. The show is intense and addictive, but above all, entertaining.

First Team: Juventus gives us a new look at Italian soccer giants, Juventus, at numerous points throughout their 2017/2018 season. The docuseries follows the team on and off the pitch; in the locker room, on the road, and even at home. While it’s not necessarily a deep dive into the intricacies of the game or their lives, it is an interesting watch for Juventus fans and does a good job of humanizing soccer stars in general.

Without a doubt one of the most famous sports documentaries of all time, Icarus does a deep dive into the Russian Olympic doping program. It’s a documentary that has all the makings of an incredible movie. Watching this is a special experience because it will change the way you perceive sports as a whole. Icarus won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2018.

Little Miss Sumo tells the story of a 20-year-old sumo wrestler, Hiyori Kon, as she faces obstacles in the world of sumo wrestling as a women in the sport. Her story, which includes being banned from competing professionally, is gut-wrenching and inspiring. Though it all, Hiyori Kon is able to conquer the trials and rise to success.

Last Chance U is an episodic docuseries that follows East Mississippi Community College’s football program, exploring the players’ struggles both in and out of the game and school. Players must perform at the junior college level to try to get back to Division I and eventually make it out of their small town of Scooba. As the best documentaries do, it makes for a genuinely riveting tale and replicates the drama of your favorite movies.

Across its eight episodes, Losers looks at eight different people from eight different sports who did not manage to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Golf, soccer, boxing, and even figure skating runner ups come into play here. This one is great because while athletes’ success drives us, failure in some way, shape, or form is relatable to us all. We lose out more often than we win, making this docu-series hit home harder than we’d like it to.

Whether you’re a soccer fan or not, you might know Diego Maradona as the greatest of all time. What most people aren’t so familiar with is his history of managing teams. The Argentinian has been in charge of eight different sides since 1994, one of the more recent ones being Mexican club Dorados de Sinaloa. Maradona In Mexico is a captivating look at his time with the team, ups, downs, and all.

'The Redeem Team' chronicles the epic story of the 2008 United States Men's Olympic Basketball team. After a disappointing third place finish in the 2004 games, the superstar team was under immense pressure to, fittingly, "redeem" themselves and win the gold. With so much talent, the story of the 2008 national team is full of passion and anecdotes that is incredibly captivating for the audience to experience through the documentary.

John Greenhalgh’s Team Foxcatcher documentary tells the story of John E. du Pont and Dave Schultz. The former was a massive help to USA’s Olympic Wrestling Team because he was a billionaire who built training facilities on his own property, allowing them to train there. The latter was the most gifted wrestler at the time. The story is tragic, answering some questions only to raise others that we may never have answers for.

A Kid From Coney Island (2019) chronicles the journey of the New York legend, Stephon Marbury. The 44-year-old was drafted in 1996 by the Milwaukee Bucks, and the documentary highlights the various ups and downs of his career. 

The Portland Mavericks were an independent minor league baseball team based out of Portland, Oregon that was active from 1973 to 1977. The Battered Bastards Of Baseball, the title is taken from a Jim Bouton quote, is the tale of their time and truly highlights their insistence on straying from the pack. At the time, they were the only independent baseball team in America and it came across both in their spirit and this film.

Produced by star couple Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, The Short Game is a look at eight entrants in the 2012 U.S. Kids Golf Championships. The participants were just seven and eight-years-old, making for a unique look into a competitive tournament. The parent-child dynamic is also in play here, with viewers naturally split down the middle about some of the decisions made. At the end of the day, this shows that competition can drive just about anyone.

Plant-based diets have been a craze for a while now, but The Game Changers is an in-depth look at how they benefit both regular people and athletes. Former UFC welterweight James Wilks does the research here, traveling the world to talk to elite athletes who have personal experiences with plant-based diets. You might know that there’s been some debate about the arguments made in this documentary by Joe Rogan, who initially disagreed with some claims but later had his mind changed.

Undefeated is an inspiring, feel-good look at the Manassas Tigers high school football team from Memphis. It takes us through their struggles to win a season after consecutive losses. It’s by no means a new story in sports, the team trying to defy the odds, but seeing it at the high school level does give it a unique spin. Undefeated won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2012.