The 10 Best Sports Documentaries to Stream in 2026: From The Last Dance to Free Solo
A recent list showcasing the top 10 sports documentaries available on U.S. streaming platforms in 2026 reveals significant growth in this genre since the release of ESPN's The Last Dance in April 2020. Leading the ranking is the Emmy-winning series centered on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s. Following closely is O.J.: Made in America (2016), which delves into O.J. Simpson's life and legal battles. Alex Honnold's ascent of El Capitan is featured in Free Solo (2018). Additional titles include Icarus (2017), Untold: Malice at the Palace (2021), Simone Biles Rising (2024), Welcome to Wrexham, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Beckham (2023), and Quarterback (2023). The ranking highlights the importance of storytelling and impact, acknowledging the frequent changes in streaming rights.
Key facts
- The Last Dance, a 10-part ESPN documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, premiered in April 2020 and won an Emmy, helping to ignite a boom in sports documentaries.
- O.J.: Made in America, directed by Ezra Edelman, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2017 and runs nearly eight hours.
- Free Solo, about Alex Honnold's 2017 free solo climb of El Capitan, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2019.
- Icarus, released in 2017, exposed a Russian state-sponsored doping program and won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
- Untold: Malice at the Palace revisits the November 19, 2004 NBA brawl between the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan.
- Simone Biles Rising, released in 2024, follows the gymnast's return to the Olympics after the Tokyo 2021 Games, where she withdrew due to the 'twisties'.
- Welcome to Wrexham documents Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's 2021 purchase of Wrexham AFC, which achieved three consecutive promotions to reach the second-tier Championship.
- Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which debuted on Netflix in 2019, is credited with dramatically increasing Formula 1's popularity in the United States.
Entities
Artists
- Michael Jordan
- Scottie Pippen
- Dennis Rodman
- Phil Jackson
- Barack Obama
- Jason Hehir
- Ezra Edelman
- O.J. Simpson
- Nicole Brown Simpson
- Ron Goldman
- Alex Honnold
- Jimmy Chin
- Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
- Sanni McCandless
- Bryan Fogel
- Grigory Rodchenkov
- Ron Artest
- Metta Sandiford-Artest
- Jermaine O'Neal
- Stephen Jackson
- Simone Biles
- Jonathan Owens
- Larry Nassar
- Ryan Reynolds
- Rob McElhenney
- David Beckham
- Victoria Beckham
- Fisher Stevens
- Sir Alex Ferguson
- Christian Horner
- Toto Wolff
- Guenther Steiner
- Lando Norris
- Charles Leclerc
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Patrick Mahomes
- Kirk Cousins
- Marcus Mariota
- Joe Burrow
- Jared Goff
- Peyton Manning
- Rodney King
Institutions
- ESPN
- Netflix
- HBO
- Omaha Productions
- NFL Films
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Minnesota Vikings
- Atlanta Falcons
- Manchester United
- Real Madrid
- LA Galaxy
- England national team
- Box to Box Films
- Haas
- Wrexham AFC
- FX
- Hulu
- USA Gymnastics
- Indiana Pacers
- Detroit Pistons
- NBA
- Palace of Auburn Hills
- Disney+
- 30 for 30
- Los Angeles Police Department
- Academy Awards
- BAFTA
- Emmy Awards
Locations
- United States
- East London
- England
- United Kingdom
- North Wales
- Wales
- Sochi
- Russia
- Yosemite National Park
- California
- Los Angeles
- Michigan
- Auburn Hills
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Paris
- France
- Miami
- Las Vegas
Sources
- Quartz —