If you conduct a survey of 10 people and ask them what the most popular forms of entertainment are, the maximum votes will likely go to movies and sports (not necessarily in that order). This probably explains why sports documentaries are so popular – they offer the best of both worlds.
But what makes sports documentaries so special? Especially when compared to biopics and other forms of adaptations? Well, documentaries help viewers connect better with the sport in question since they use real-life footage. Adaptations, on the other hand, are products of the directors’ creative liberty which, dare we say it, they are justified in exercising. It’s this creative liberty, however, that makes viewers wary about the accuracy of what they are offering.
Every time new sports documentaries are announced, be it on streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video or for theatrical release, both sports and movie fans get excited. The same is true for 2024 as we have quite a few releases lined up in the coming months including the recently announced Serena Williams docu-series from ESPN.
Curious to know about all the other documentaries we were talking about? No need to fret, for we have got you covered. Join us as we take a look at the most sought-after upcoming sports documentaries releasing in 2024, including their release dates, where to watch them and more.
Here are 7 new sports documentaries to look out for
1. Rafa Márquez: El Capitán
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 6 June 2024
Director: Carlos Armella
Runtime: 1 hr 22 mins
Where to watch: Netflix
Let us begin our list of upcoming sports documentaries with Netflix’s 2024 feature on football player Rafael Márquez. One of the finest Mexican players the sport has ever seen, he is famously known for his time at FC Barcelona.
The first Mexican footballer to represent the Catalan side, Márquez won two UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns during his stint at Camp Nou. He also won the FIFA Confederations Cup (1999) and the CONCACAF Gold Cup (2003 and 2011) with the Mexican national team.
However, the Mexican legend’s journey has been far from smooth. The new Netflix film by Carlos Armella will reportedly chronicle his entire life and how he rose to fame. This includes his formative years in Zamora, Michoacán, the way he struggled to cope with the death of his father, and his battle to clear his name in a suspected drug trafficking incident.
Releasing in the first half of June 2024, Rafa Márquez: El Capitán will also include interviews with his FC Barcelona teammates such as Xavi Hernandez, Carles Puyol and more.
2. America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Highlighted sport: American Football
Release date: 20 June 2024
Director: Greg Whiteley
Number of episodes: 7
Where to watch: Netflix
While we have all seen documentaries on athletes and coaches, in a unique turn of events, Netflix decided to rope in Emmy-winning director Greg Whiteley and focus on the cheerleaders.
Titled America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, this new docu-series by the streaming giant will shine the spotlight on the cheerleaders of the National Football League (NFL) side Dallas Cowboys. According to the filmmaker, the series will offer insight into the life of a professional cheerleader — how they have to brave all odds and put on a happy face for the entirety of the match, the amount of hard work that goes into their training and more.
To shoot this documentary, Whitley and the entire crew got unlimited access from the Dallas Cowboys as they followed the NFL side throughout the 2023-24 season. The series also contains behind-the-scenes footage of the cheerleaders, which amplifies their personal narratives.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is also a part of Netflix’s recent foray into American football. It is the second NFL-based documentary to be released on the streaming platform in 2024 after The Quarterback.
3. Federer: Twelve Final Days
Highlighted sport: Tennis
Release date: 20 June 2024
Director: Asif Kapadia
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
When it comes to sports documentaries, Asif Kapadia is a master of the trade. With titles like Senna and Diego Maradona under his belt, the British filmmaker has cemented his place as one of the greatest documentary filmmakers in history. Therefore, it is not surprising to see his newest venture garnering immense attention, particularly with Roger Federer at its crux.
As its name suggests, Federer: Twelve Final Days revolves around the Swiss maestro’s final days as an active player on the tennis court. For context, he retired at the end of the Laver Cup in 2022. Joe Sabia, creator of the 73 Questions franchise, filmed Federer during the tournament. Those video clips will form the base of Kapadia’s new documentary.
In addition to his retirement, the Amazon Prime Video film will also shed light on Federer’s celebrated rivalries with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, all of whom were present during the Swiss player’s retirement. It will also contain interviews with Federer’s family members, including his wife (who gave her first interview in over a decade).
Slated to release in the latter half of June 2024, this film on Federer is among the upcoming sports documentaries you cannot miss.
4. Sprint
Picture Credits: Kata Vermes/Netflix
Highlighted sport: Athletics
Release date: 2 July 2024
Director: Phil Turner
Number of episodes: 10
Where to watch: Netflix
While every major sporting discipline gets its fair share of limelight on the silver screen, track-and-field athletics is often deprived of this honour. To change this, Netflix is coming up with a new docu-series focused on competitive sprinting.
Directed by Phil Turner, the 10-part documentary will encapsulate the journey of some of the best sprinters in the world from the World Championships 2023 to weeks before the Paris Olympics in 2024. It will feature runners such as Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles and Shericka Jackson, among several others from the United States of America (USA), Jamaica, the United Kingdom (UK), Ivory Coast, Kenya and Italy.
With a release date set right before the start of the Paris Olympics, the series’ aim to draw a bigger audience for track-and-field athletics is what sets it apart from the rest of the upcoming sports documentaries mentioned on this list.
5. In The Arena: Serena Williams
Highlighted sport: Tennis
Release date: 10 July 2024
Director: Gotham Chopra
Number of episodes: Eight
Where to watch: ESPN+
Even though this is not the first time that sports fans will be treated to a film on the life of Serena Williams, the teaser drop of In The Arena: Serena Williams on her Instagram account has, expectedly, generated quite the buzz.
As mentioned above, the legendary American tennis player has been the subject of several films and docuseries including:
- Venus and Serena (2012)
- Serena: The Other Side of Greatness (2016)
- Being Serena (2018)
- King Richard (2021)
In the teaser, Williams was quoted saying, “I didn’t need to blend in. I needed to be different because I was different. I was something that no one had ever seen before.”
The Gotham Chopra-directed documentary, which is part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, looks quite promising, earning a spot on our list of upcoming sports documentaries to keep an eye on.
6. Simone Biles: Rising
Picture Credits: Netflix
Highlighted sport: Gymnastics
Release date: 19 July 2024
Director: Katie Walsh
Number of episodes: Four
Where to watch: Netflix
In 2021, American gymnast Simone Biles was the frontrunner for winning a bagful of gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics. However, she decided to withdraw from the marquee sports meet, citing her mental health as the reason. Now in 2024, she will be hoping to attend to her unfinished business and claim the gold that eluded her in the past.
This inspiring story sets the premise for Netflix’s four-part documentary. Titled Simone Biles: Rising, it is slated to release on the streaming platform just in time for the Paris Olympics 2024.
The documentary, directed by Katie Walsh, will provide the audience with a close look at Biles’ preparations for the quadrennial event as she strives to reclaim her throne.
7. The Greatest Rivalry – India vs Pakistan
Highlighted sport: Cricket
Release date: To be announced
Director: Not known
Number of episodes: Not known
Where to watch: Netflix
With a rich history of geopolitical tension, an India vs Pakistan cricket match is always more than a mere sports event — the pride of both nations is at stake, no matter how much the players on the field would like to believe otherwise.
Over the years, this rivalry has produced some of the most memorable moments in the sport’s history. Legends of both nations, including (but not limited to) Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Rahul Dravid, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli have been involved in this match-up.
Such a storied legacy is indeed a great topic to base a documentary on and Netflix got the memo. In February 2024, the streaming giant announced that a docu-series titled The Greatest Rivalry – India vs Pakistan is under production.
A sizeable fraction of Netflix’s subscribers hail from India. Therefore, it is only fair for the streaming juggernaut to come up with content tailored to its Indian audience. Having said that, the global popularity of the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry will definitely make it easier for many sports fans around the world to relate to the content of this documentary. Additionally, the project will involve bytes from Tendulkar, Akram, Akhtar, Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Ravichandran Ashwin.
(Main Image Credits: IMDb/Federer: Twelve Final Days and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders/Instagram; Featured Image Credits: Roger Federer/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Which is the most awaited sports documentary of 2024?
Federer: Twelve Final Days is one of the most awaited sports documentaries of 2024.
– Which is the best upcoming sports documentary?
Federer: Twelve Final Days and Sprint are among the best upcoming sports documentaries.
– Which is the best upcoming sports documentary releasing on Netflix?
Sprint is among the best upcoming sports documentaries releasing on Netflix.
