Due to the rising popularity of streaming platforms and web-based video players, docuseries are the latest television format to take the world by storm. One of the most common themes to emerge from this trend is an abundance of docuseries centered on key events or figures in the sporting industry. Continues reading to find out why this craze has the potential to revolutionize the sporting industry on film.
A history of sports films
With the history of sport extending back thousands of years, it comes as no surprise that sports have been a central topic for filmmakers for centuries. The Olympic Games were also the first broadcast live to viewers in Berlin back in 1936. Whether portraying real-life events or fictional drama, some fantastic sports films have captivated audiences for hundreds of years.
As the first sports film to win an Academy Award in 1977, Rocky remains one of the most popular movies in cinematic history to this day. The same year saw the release of A Sunday in Hell, a Danish documentary following the 1976 Paris-Roubaix bicycle race from the perspective of those involved.
A new age of sport on film
With technology advancing at a rapid rate, sports films have undergone a series of changes in recent decades. For example, according to a recent survey, streaming platforms overtook television viewership for the first time in 2018. With consumers constantly looking for new ways to watch television whenever and wherever they may be, a new age of television viewing has given way to a new age of sports films.
Recent docuseries have shone a light on a number of sports rarely covered by mainstream media houses such as athletics, wrestling, cheerleading, tennis, and even bodybuilding. Live sporting events have also had a dramatic impact on the ways in which we view and engage with sports with fans able to keep up with the action on the go as well as in real-time.
The rise of the docuseries
With staying in the new going out, the docuseries has undergone a stratospheric rise in recent years. Docuseries centered on sports have been a particular hit. This is due to the fact that sporting content lends itself well to the docuseries format. Cheer, for example, was one of Netflix’s most successful sporting docuseries of 2020.
By revisiting the same cast members week after week, viewers not only found out everything they could ever want to know about the sport of cheerleading but got to know each performer on a personal level. Another popular offering was The Last Dance.
Shining a light on the pressures faced by basketball players and the impressive career of sporting great Michael Jordan, the docuseries is not only informative but hugely entertaining.
The future of sports docuseries
The rise in subscription-based streaming platforms has paved the way for sports docuseries to continue dominating the market. Consumers have also shown a preference for episodic content over feature-length films in recent years. Most biographical sports films highlight the ups and downs of a career in the sporting industry. With one 90-minute film unable to emphasize this, the docuseries format is the only logical explanation.
Sports films have captivated audiences for decades. But as viewer habits are beginning to change, so too are television formats. The docuseries is the latest offering from a number of leading streaming platforms designed to cater to a growing demand for short-form, episodic content. With our collective interest in the sporting industry continuing to grow at an accelerated rate, it looks like the sports docuseries is here to stay.
About The Author
stash member Nicki Jenns
Nicki Jenns is a healthy eating and world news expert, motivational speaker and author. She is passionate about the impact of health and family issues. contact me on nickijenns@gmail.com
Mario Berko
March 6th, 2023
Perhaps because people enjoy these adrenaline activities. I love this type of movies and documentaries, too. I would rather watch 5 hours of posts docuseries than 10 minutes of romantic movie :) 1414 angel number