The Best Sports Movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu
When you can’t be in a sportsbook or at a game, what are some good sports movies to watch? We’ve found some of the best movies to get your fill of sports, and the best ways to stream them.
From intense documentaries and inspirational comeback stories to fictional hockey comedies and rough MMA dramas, there are plenty of options to choose from depending on what mood you are in. If you’re in the mood for sports on movie night, these sports movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu are all free to watch with a subscription.
Best Sports Movies on Netflix
Undefeated (2011)
A documentary that follows three inner-city Memphis student-athletes on the Manassas Tigers football team, a severely underfunded and underprivileged football team—who were even hired out as a practice team for more successful schools—as they reverse their fortunes, thanks to coach Bill Courtney.
The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)
The Battered Bastards of Baseball is one of baseball’s last great, unheralded true stories. This Netflix sports documentary follows Hollywood veteran Bing Russell as he creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.
Bleed For This (2016)
Based on a true story, this inspirational sports movie on Netflix shares the career, injury, and comeback of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza. After a near fatal car crash, which left him not knowing if he’d ever walk again, he made one of the most incredible comebacks in sports history.
Greater (2016)
Greater shares the story of Brandon Burlsworth, possibly the greatest walk-on in the history of college football, where faith and determination transform a talentless football player at the University of Arkansas into an All-American in this inspiring true story.
Team Foxcatcher (2016)
A slightly darker plot takes place in this sports movie, detailing the paranoid downward spiral of John E. du Pont and the murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz. With never-before-seen home video, this documentary details the athletic utopia John E. du Pont created and the sharp turn it took for the worse.
Goon: Last of the Enforcers (2017)
If you’re in the mood for a lighter take on sports movies on Netflix, Goon is a hockey comedy following a pro lockout and the decision to leave retirement. Doug “The Thug” Glatt is injured and must choose whether to defend his team against a dangerous new enemy, or be there for his wife as she prepares to give birth to his daughter.
High Flying Bird (2019)
In this Netflix original movie, sports agent Ray Burke finds himself caught in the face-off between the league and the players in the midst of a pro basketball lockout that sidelines his big rookie client. With only 72 hours to pull off a daring plan, he outmaneuvers all the power-players as he uncovers a loophole that could change the game forever.
Best Sports Movies on Amazon Prime
The Bad News Bears (1976)
A true sports movie classic! Bad News Bears tells the story of an aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league. With a bit of luck and a lot of patience, this team works together to get into shape in this beloved film.
Blue Chips (1994)
Starring Nick Nolte and Shaquille O’Neal, this basketball movie follows a college basketball coach who is under a lot of pressure. His team isn’t winning and he cannot attract new players. The stars of the future are secretly being paid by boosters. This practice is forbidden in the college game, but Pete is desperate and has pressures from all around.
Seabiscuit (2003)
In the midst of the Great Depression, a businessman coping with grief, a jockey with a history of brutal injuries, and a down-and-out horse trainer team up to train Seabiscuit, a temperamental, undersized racehorse. Eventually Seabiscuit becomes one of the most successful thoroughbreds of all time, and inspires a nation at a time when it needs it most.
Murderball (2005)
Murderball is an American documentary film about the U.S. quad rugby team composed entirely of young paraplegic men who play full-contact wheelchair rugby. It centers on the rivalry between the Canadian and U.S. teams leading up to the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Fire in Babylon (2010)
In a turbulent era of apartheid in South Africa, race riots in England and civil unrest in the Carribean, the West Indian cricketers struck a wonderfully defiant blow at the forces of white prejudice worldwide. Their undisputed skill, combined with a fearless spirit, allowed them to dominate the game at the highest level, replaying it on their own, terrifying, terms.
Burn the Ships (2017)
The NPF, a women’s professional softball league that few know exists, has spent decades struggling for survival in a male-dominated sports world. Its players are forced to choose between their livelihood and their dreams. Burn the Ships is the story of one woman and her team who refuse to let those dreams slip away.
Creed II (2018)
While the first installment is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Creed II is available to stream for free. The next chapter in the Adonis Creed story follows his life inside and outside of the ring as he deals with new found fame, issues with his family, and his continuing quest to become a boxing champion.
Best Sports Movies on Hulu
More Than a Game (2008)
This documentary chronicles the early career of basketball superstar LeBron James and his four other talented teammates at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. The film covers how James’ ever-increasing celebrity threatened to tear apart all the five had worked so hard to achieve.
Warrior (2011)
This extremely popular sports movie has the perfect blend of athleticism and drama. In the film, the youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he’s trained by his father for competition in an MMA tournament – a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.
Million Dollar Arm (2014)
Based on the true story of baseball pitchers Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel who were discovered by sports agent J. B. Bernstein, Million Dollar Arm follows Bernstein as he plans to find baseball’s next star pitcher by heading to India to find a cricket player whom he can nurture into a major league star.
Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)
Borg vs. McEnroe is a biographical drama focusing on the famous professional rivalry between tennis players Björn Borg and John McEnroe at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships, culminating in their encounter in the men’s singles final, one of the most dramatic tennis matches of all time.
I, Tonya (2017)
The critically-acclaimed I, Tonya follows the life of figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan. The film states that it is based on “contradictory” and “true” interviews with Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, depicting Harding as a victim to this controversial event.
The Miracle Season (2018)
The Miracle Season is based on the inspiring true story of the West High School girl’s volleyball team. After the tragic loss of star player Caroline “Line” Found in an accident, the remaining team players must band together under the guidance of their tough-love coach, Kathy Bresnahan, in hopes of winning the state championship.
In Search of Greatness (2018)
Top athletes, including Michael Jordan, Pelé, Jerry Rice and Wayne Gretzky, explore the importance of nature versus nurture in determining athletic ability. This sports film gives a unique perspective into the mindset of an athlete and their secrets to their craft.
The next time you’re in a sports mood but can’t watch the game or be in the sportsbook, stream one of these sports movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu to get your fix. And when it is time for you to be part of the sporting experience and head back to the sportsbook, we look forward to seeing you at Circa Sports!
