Loved Beckham? Here Are 8 More Sport Documentaries To Watch Now

Beckham is causing a stir with its never-ending flurry of famous faces, and unflinching dive into the nitty gritty of David Beckham’s personal life and career. There’s also, of course, a lot of football – so it’s perfect for sport fans. Finished Beckham already, and wondering what to watch next? These are the best sport documentaries to dive into now.

Best Sport Documentaries To Watch Now

Netflix

Beckham

David Beckham remains one of Britain’s best-loved sports figures, despite his professional career ending a decade ago. Netflix has drawn together the superstar’s good looks, charisma and family nature to create new series Beckham, a comprehensive dive into the footballer’s life and career to date, including a look at his childhood, famed relationship with Spice Girl wife Victoria, career highlights, and football controversies to boot. Read everything else you can expect to see here.

WATCH: Stream on Netflix

Senna

This 2010 documentary film depicts the life and death of famed Brazilian motor-racing champion, Ayrton Senna. Directed by Asif Kapadia, the main focus is on Senna’s Formula One career, from his debut in the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix to his devastating death in an accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. With archival footage and home clips, you’re truly transported back to the ‘80s, with a natural narrative forming without retrospective video interviews.

WATCH: Rent on Prime Video

Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson of the United States Basketball Team share a laugh during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. © 1992 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Last Dance

Released in 2020 and created by ESPN Films with Netflix, The Last Dance chronicles the career of famed basketball player Michael Jordan. There’s a particular focus on the 1997–98 season, Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls when a film crew had an all-access pass to the team. Jumping back and forth in time, archive footage is supplemented with retrospective interviews with a slew of NBA stars, including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson and Jordan himself to consider how Jordan and the Bulls were so successful.

WATCH: Stream on Netflix

Free Solo

In June 2017, rock climber Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo climb the El Capitan route in Yosemite National Park – and a film crew documented the whole thing. The stakes are extremely high – one step wrong, and Honnold could die on camera – but directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin persisted with creating the incredible film. It rightly bagged the 2018 Academy Award for Best Documentary, and is a gripping portrayal of Honnold as he claws his way up a 3,000-foot wall with nothing to protect his fall.

WATCH: Stream on Disney+

The Deepest Breath. (L to R) Alessia Zecchini and Stephen Keenan in The Deepest Breath. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023

The Deepest Breath

Athletes are always striving to top their sport – and The Deepest Breath is no exception. The film follows two free divers, Stephen Keenan and Alessia Zecchini, and their journeys to the top of the freediving world, attempting to break incredible world records. This involves descending hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean using a single breath, no oxygen tanks, and little equipment other than a rope. The documentary highlights the grave dangers of this, and the sheer bravery it requires – refusing to flinch even from a tragedy that occurred during filming.

WATCH: Stream on Netflix

Girls Can’t Surf

Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel Malibu Rising and sport documentaries alike, Girls Can’t Surf shines a light on the untold story of professional women surfers in the 1980s and ‘90s, scrutinising the gender discrimination they faced, from unequal pay to lack of sponsorship. Surfers from the era return for candid interviews, alongside archival footage and photographs.

WATCH: Rent on Prime Video

NAOMI OSAKA in episode 3 of NAOMI OSAKA. NETFLIX © 2021

Naomi Osaka

This three-part documentary named for the tennis star it follows offers a glimpse into life on and off the tennis court, including Naomi’s family background, rise to fame, and struggles with mental health, the latter leading her to pull out of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2021. Tennis fans can enjoy exclusive footage of Naomi’s incredible matches, plus interviews with tennis stars alongside family and friends. As sport documentaries go, Naomi Osaka has been praised for its intimate portrayal of Naomi and sensitive consideration of the pressure on athletes.

WATCH: Stream on Netflix

Sunderland ‘Til I Die

Before the recent flurry of sport documentaries, the first season of Sunderland ‘Til I Die arrived on Netflix in 2018. Taking a peek at the inner workings of a football club – from management to players to fans – the documentary tracks the highs and lows of Sunderland FC, including the relegation from the Championship to League One. Garnering such intrigue and praise, Sunderland ‘Til I Die has even been cited as one of the motivating factors in Rob McElhenney purchasing Wrexham A.F.C. with Ryan Reynolds, which is itself documented in similar series, Welcome to Wrexham.

WATCH: Stream on Netflix

WELCOME TO WREXHAM – Pictured: (L-R) Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney. CR: Patrick McElhenney/FX.

Welcome To Wrexham

Fancy getting the inside scoop on America’s recent fascination with British football? Welcome to Wrexham documents the events of Welsh association football club Wrexham A.F.C., as told by the club’s new American owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Featuring interviews with club officials, players and fans, the series has been praised for its honest portrayal of the ups and downs of a football club – from relegation to new management – and its impact on the local community.

WATCH: Stream on Disney+