7 New Sports Documentaries to Watch Right Now
While it may be the summer of political debates and suffocating heat, it’s also the summer of sports with the Paris Olympics following on from Copa America, Euro 2024, Wimbledon, and much, much more. There are also plenty of new sports documentaries to feast on, too. Just this month alone, Netflix has dropped four new sports docs featuring Olympic icons, NFL stars and Spanish soccer.
From scandals, losses, and immeasurable pressure to maintaining a life outside of the sport, the films look at the athletes and events that captivate fans and make headlines around the world. Here are our choices of new sports docs that are worth checking out right now.
Simone Biles: Rising
After a severe case of the “twisties” at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — a term used by gymnasts when they begin losing track of where they are in the air — Simone Biles dropped out of the competition. The gymnastics G.O.A.T. faced backlash from the media, and some Americans who cruelly said she let her team and country down. This Netflix documentary series follows her journey as she deals with the fallout from 2020, makes her mental health a priority, and aims to bounce back at the Paris Olympics.
Simone Biles Rising, Season 1, Netflix
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Perhaps even more iconic than the Dallas Cowboys are their cheerleaders. In Texas, where football is almost bigger than life, young women tryout for the chance of a lifetime — to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. This seven-episode series reveals some hard truths about what these girls go through to make and stay on the team. The pressure from their family, extreme expectations from coaches, inappropriate touching and sexualization from fans, and worst of all: how little the multi-billion-dollar franchise pays them.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Season 1, Netflix
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants
HBO’s Hard Knocks returns with another season, this time focusing on the New York Giants. For the very first time, go behind the scenes of the New York Giants January to July offseason as they prepare to enter their 100th season in the NFL. The team’s manager, Joe Schoen, is heavily featured as we follow along chronologically, starting with major offseason events, including the NFL Draft, and quarterback Daniel Jones recovering from a torn ACL.
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, Season 1, HBO, Streaming on Max
LALIGA: All Access
La Liga — Spanish Football’s elite division — brings us behind the scenes of 20 of their teams, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the organization that turned players like Lionel Messi and David Beckham into household names. If you watched the Beckham documentary, or are a fan of the game in general, this gives you a deeper look into the rigorous training and competitiveness, as well as the policies and politics that come with running a football club.
LALIGA: All Access, Season 1, Netflix
Receiver
If you watched Netflix’s docuseries Quarterback, you’ll want to check out the sequel, Receiver, this time focusing on the players who receive the ball, rather than throw it. Follow along with the pressure, the heartbreak, and the personal lives of five NFL top receivers: Davante Adams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Deebo Samuels, and George Kittle.
Receiver, Season 1, Netflix
Sprint: The World's Fastest Humans
As the 2024 Summer Olympics begins, get acquainted with some of the track and field Olympians. Watch Netflix’s documentary following seven athletes from around the world as they prepare for the Paris Games, each with the goal of gaining the title “fastest person alive.” Prominent athletes featured are American runner Sha’Carri Richardson, who made headlines in 2021 after testing positive for cannabis, American Noah Lyles, who is currently the fourth fastest person of all time, and Jamaican track star Sherika Jackson, the second-fastest woman in history.
Sprint: The World’s Fastest Humans, Season 1, Netflix
Athletes to Watch – Paris 2024
Follow along as 15 European athletes as they prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics, dedicating everything to becoming an Olympian. Watch what it’s like to be a family member or friend to an Olympian, and the sacrifices that are made to have a chance at being the best. France fencer Enzo Lefort, British rower Helen Glover, French surfer Kauli Vaast (above), and German equestrian Jessica von Bredow-Werndl are just a few of the many athletes featured.
Athletes to Watch – Paris 2024, Olympic Channel
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