The 15 most popular must-watch sports docuseries

The release of the highly popular Netflix four-part Beckham docuseries has seen the superstar soccer player David Beckham in the headlines as the series covers his athletic career, personal life and dealing with the pressures of fame. Sports docuseries have exploded in popularity recently, featuring some of the globe’s biggest franchises and athletes.

JeffBet has analyzed data from IMDb to reveal the most popular sports docuseries of all time and reveal a list of the top 15 based on the number of user-generated votes each.

       1. The Last Dance – 142,850 Votes

The Last Dance is a 2020 10-part docuseries co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix revolving around the career of Michael Jordan and the legendary NBA team Chicago Bulls, who won six NBA championships and two three-peats. The docuseries is widely considered the best sports documentary of all time and offers a fascinating insight into one of the world’s most prominent athletes in one of the most dominant franchises, as highlighted by its total of 142,850 votes.

       2. Formula 1: Drive to Survive – 47,584 Votes

Formula 1: Drive to Survive places second as the most popular docuseries; the first series was released in March 2019, co-produced by Formula One and Netflix. Formula 1: Drive to Survive documents Formula One world championships up close, including behind-the-scenes footage of race day and featuring superstars such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen; it has had five seasons so far and will likely be confirmed for more.

       3. Welcome to Wrexham – 16,339 Votes

Placing third is the multiple-award-winning 2022 release Welcome to Wrexham. Welcome to Wrexham is based on what started as a non-league football team in Wales struggling financially, whose ambition then turns to being promoted to the football league. Despite being unknown, the club was bought by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who have proved popular owners. The unlikely alliance has proved to be a favorable watch among audiences, even those who don’t usually consume football.

       4. Untold: Malice at the Palace – 9,664 Votes

Placing fourth is Untold: Malice at the Palace, a 2021 Netflix documentary from the “Untold” series that examines the infamous 2004 NBA brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. The incident led to player suspensions and significant changes in NBA security and fan behavior policies. Through interviews, archival footage, and analysis, the documentary delves into the incident, its causes, and its impact on the NBA and professional sports.

       5. Sunderland ‘Til I Die – 8,904 Votes

Netflix’s 2018 docuseries release Sunderland ‘Til I Die is in fifth position. The docuseries follows Sunderland football club throughout the season. Documenting training, locker room and team talks, giving an insight into the inside of a soccer team. It follows Sunderland during a particularly tumultuous time; they face the threat of relegation. Not only does the series follow the athletes and management of the football team, but also the fiercely loyal fans who have invested their time and money into the club.

        6. Class of 92 – 8,724 Votes

The Class of 92 throws back to Manchester United’s footballing dynasty; it follows six players, including the likes of David Beckham and Paul Scholes, from their time at Manchester United’s soccer academy up until 1999, when they won a famous ‘treble’ for Manchester United.

        7. Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist – 7,582 Votes

Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist places seventh and is the sixth part of the Untold series. Released in 2022, it follows an all-American college footballer named Manti Te’o, whose life turns upside down when his relationship is revealed to be a catfish. This docuseries explores the events in question, featuring the player and investigative journalists.

        8. All or Nothing: Manchester City – 7,470 Votes

All or Nothing: Manchester City, an Amazon Prime Video original, ranks eighth, offering a behind-the-scenes view of English football club Manchester City during the 2017-2018 season. It follows superstar coach Pep Guardiola and covers their Premier League campaign and provides insights into the team’s inner workings, including training sessions, locker room interactions, and the lives of players and coaching staff.

         9. Last Chance U – 7,338 Votes

Last Chance U places ninth. Released in 2016, Last Chance U is a well-received sports documentary series on Netflix, centering on the experiences of junior college American football players and programs in the United States. The series primarily highlights the obstacles and potential pathways that student-athletes navigate as they aspire to advance from JUCO football to competing at four-year universities or, in certain instances, aiming for careers in the NFL.

        10. Cheer – 6,717 Votes

Cheer is a 2020 Netflix documentary series offering an inside view of the competitive cheerleading team of Navarro College in Texas. The show highlights the intense training and personal stories of the athletes. The docuseries is centered on head coach Monica Aldama and the team’s journey to the National Cheerleaders Association National Championships. Cheer has received praise for portraying the physical and emotional challenges cheerleaders face and the determination needed to excel in the sport.

        11. All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur – 6,563 Votes

All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur is an Amazon Prime 2020 release placing eleventh on the list. Like other installments of the All or Nothing series, it offers insight into training sessions, locker room and matchdays. The series begins with the head coach of Tottenham at the time fired from the job. We then see legendary manager Jose Mourinho take over for the 2019-2020 season. The docuseries also captures how the world of sport stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

        12. FIFA Uncovered – 6,197 Votes

FIFA Uncovered was released on Netflix two weeks before the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The program explores corruption within soccer’s governing body. The four-part docuseries documents the history of the FIFA organization and the controversy surrounding countries that have in the past hosted the World Cup.

        13. All or Nothing: Arsenal – 5,827 Votes

All or Nothing: Arsenal is a 2022 Amazon Prime Video release narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya. It follows Arsenal during the 2021-22 season when Mikel Arteta, former club captain, turns into head coach following the dismissal of the previous coach. The series looks at a soccer team going through a transitional period as new manager Mikel Arteta enforces disciplinary rules, stripping Aubameyang of the captaincy due to punctuality.

        14. Beckham – 5,793 Votes

Placing fourteenth is Netflix’s latest docuseries, Beckham. The docuseries was only released on October 4th 2023; however, it’s proved to be a favorite among Netflix fans, already accumulating enough votes to feature on this list. The global icon, who played for some of the biggest soccer teams in the world, has spoken out like never before alongside his wife, Victoria Beckham. The Beckhams offer an insight into their lives, with input from David’s family, former teammates and legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

    15. The Figo Affair: The Transfer That Changed Football – 5,211 Votes

The Figo Affair: The Transfer That Changed Football places fifteenth on this list. The Netflix 2022 release explores the most controversial transfer in the history of football, when Luis Figo transferred from Barcelona to arch-rivals Real Madrid. Luis Figo faced a great amount of hostility from the Barcelona fans and media over the infamous transfer. The docuseries explores how the transfer came about from different accounts, including Real Madrid’s president, the agent who proposed the transfer and Luis Figo himself.

A spokesperson from JeffBet has commented on the findings: “Sports docuseries’s have surged in popularity over recent years. Fans are interested in sports storytelling as they offer interesting behind-the-scenes content of the biggest sports franchises in the world, helping us understand the psyche of the most famous athletes in the world.”

“Streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime are often competing with each other by releasing the most in-demand sports docuseries productions.  So far, Netflix originals are coming out on top when it comes to sports storytelling, with nine sports docuseries in the top 15 as opposed to Amazon Prime which has three on the list, with its highly popular All or Nothing series.”

“It’s also compelling to see Beckham place on the list despite only being released on October the 4th 2023. It speaks to David Beckham’s worldwide influence as not just a sporting icon, but a celebrity and fashion icon too.”