Sport brings people together in a way that few things can.
Entertainment studios have capitalized on this maxim by producing a variety of series and films that appeal to new and old fans, resulting in what SportsPro Media's Sam Carp called a “gold rush” of content.
Whether the goal is to “provide more access to your existing fans” or “expand your appeal to a new audience,” here is a selection of recent releases sure to delight even the least sports-minded viewer.
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Beckham
David Beckham is one of the greatest players to have represented Manchester United and the Three Lions, but he has revealed little about his personal life during his on-pitch career. This four-part 2023 documentary – produced in part by Beckham's Studio 99 – sheds light on what the all-time great has been up to off the field and lets the world know what he's been up to since retiring in 2013.
It is “full of famous names” but remains down-to-earth with “anecdotes and tidbits” from the footballer's family and colleagues, The Guardian said. This includes legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who Beckham viewed as a “father figure” and who recalled “a kind of heartbreak” over the breakdown of their relationship.
Even if you, like Beckham's wife Victoria aka Posh Spice, “weren't interested in football then and aren't interested in football now,” the series is “a fascinating watch,” said The New Yorker.
Where to watch: Netflix
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Six seasons later, “the granddaddy of modern sports documentaries shines for seasoned motorsport fans,” Autosport said, giving them what they came for in the first place: “fresh, surprising footage.”
According to Motor Sport, rumors circulated that the show was on the verge of upheaval or cancellation after losing “some of its va-va-voom”, but a sense of “confidence” mixed with “mediocre” insight into Formula 1 makes this “definitely worth seeing.”
While this latest season didn't have the same impact as the groundbreaking first, IGN said it was still a “very effective reminder” of the “fascinating stories” that Grand Prix racing is a breeding ground for.
Where to watch: Netflix
Welcome to Wrexham
Although commentators denounced the Hollywood-moneyed renaissance of then fifth division club Wrexham FC as “social engineering” or “manipulative,” Rolling Stone said the second season of “Welcome to Wrexham” still had “a lot of magic.”
While critics have accused actors and owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney of turning Wrexham into a “glorified piece of branded content”, their ownership has been a “real blessing”, The Ringer said. The series shines brightest when it shows “the close connection between the club and the community.”
Where to watch: Disney+
Full of momentum
The 2023 series from Box to Box Films – the team behind Drive to Survive – recently aired its second season, described by GolfPass as a “fun show full of impressively deep player and event insights.”
“It benefits greatly from the circumstances,” said Today's Golfer. There is a “ready-made script” addressing golf's “civil war” between the storied PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf, a war that intensified when news of their ” “previously unthinkable” merger became known.
Another “free kick” was the timing of the Ryder Cup, which concluded the eight-game run. “Golf’s biggest event” is a “fitting crescendo” that both newcomers and die-hard fans will appreciate.
Where to watch: Netflix
Copa 71
Despite all the gains it has made in recent years, women's football is still one step behind men's football economically and culturally. However, in 1971, a tournament was held involving six international women's teams and a final was played in front of 110,000 fans: still the “best-attended women's sporting event in history” according to the British Film Institute (BFI).
After the tournament, which was held in Mexico without the approval of a football association, “the football association and FIFA committed themselves,” according to the Guardian, “to denying the success of the tournament” and “punishing the women.”
This documentary, which includes archive footage and interviews with the players, implicitly asks where football would be today if this “potential turning point” had not been “largely forgotten”, according to the BFI.
Where to see: in cinemas now
Giannis: The wonderful journey
It may be true that only fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) know his name, but Giannis Antetokounmpo's rags-to-riches story will take anyone's heart.
Antetokounmpo and his three brothers were born in Greece to undocumented Nigerian immigrants and “lived under the threat of deportation in a sometimes hostile place,” Awful Annancing said. Her parents made a living selling jewelry on the streets and sometimes went hungry so their children could eat, CNN said.
Antetokounmpo rewarded his sacrifice many times over by flourishing as a basketball player, eventually going to America and winning an NBA championship and two Most Valuable Player awards.
This documentary, made even more real by interviews with his family and loved ones, is “not just an immigration story. It’s an American success story.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
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