The Sporting Docuseries
How Netflix is Changing the Game of Sporting Films
T. G. George
THIS WEEK I FOUND MYSELF GRIDLOCKED TO THE COUCH, in a joyful joust against glandular fever. To suppress my boredom and distract myself from the pain, I pulled up Netflix and hit play on “Six Nations: Full Contact”.
A Netflix documentary crew follows the Rugby national teams of France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Italy. As the teams battle it out, viewers are offered a glimpse into the action behind the scenes. Jumping from team to team, we are exposed to the preparation, tension, intrigue, and drama of Six Nations Rugby. I soon found myself engrossed in rivalries brewing 17,000 kilometres away, cheering on the Italian underdogs, and in joint hatred of the English.
This same interest in rugby has been sparked amongst many other neutral Netflix enthusiasts, boosting the levels of excitement for the 2024 Six Nations Season. But this is not the first time we have seen excitement and engagement levels bolstered by an interactive Netflix docuseries. It is a format that has started to take the platform by storm.
Increase in “Buzz” around the Six Nations after “Full Contact” was released.
Sporting docuseries have previously been something that has captivated already-avid fans. The “All or Nothing” franchise by Amazon Prime Video had dominated the industry. Their documentary crew has now followed 13 different sporting teams, including the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), the New Zealand All Blacks, Manchester City, and Arsenal. These series give fans the chance to follow their own team through the tribulations of the season. However, they have failed to gain traction amongst sporting neutrals, as well as supporters of a particular sport in general, because of their rigid focus on one team.
Therefore, in 2019, Netflix created a series that connected fans to the heart of all the action: Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Their crew followed the 20 drivers in a highly immersive and authentic way that breaks down the barriers to the high-speed sport. Unlike previous sporting docuseries, the show aims to target non-diehard F1 fans. Viewers who had never even watched a race in their life were still equally as enthralled and entertained by the action.
The impact of Drive to Survive on F1, and the sporting world in general, has been unprecedented. Season 6 just aired, and in this five-year span, there has been a rise in viewership, ticket sales, and sponsors, as well as attracting a younger fanbase. The average age of F1 TV viewers has decreased from 44 to 32, and the average viewership has virtually doubled from 554 thousand in 2018, to 1.11 million in 2023.
Furthermore, we have seen other sports jumping on the bandwagon to replicate these successes. I have already talked about Full Contact, but currently making advances in the industry is Full Swing, a docuseries on the PGA tour. Golf has been steadily increasing in popularity, and Full Swing has assisted with an insurgence of new fans. Similar to Full Contact and Drive to Survive, viewers are provided with insight into the drama and difficulties of being on tour. The show’s popularity has translated to PGA tour success, with 63% of “Full Swing” viewers tuning in to PGA coverage after watching.
However, the same success was not achieved after two seasons of Break Point, which followed the Tennis tour. After struggling to get big stars to feature, Netflix has announced that they have ceased production.
Despite this failure, it is evident that sporting docuseries are the future of the sporting film industry, with many sports treating them as a ticket to success. It’ll be interesting to see where they go from here, and I hope a league like the NRL, AFL, or Super Rugby can get a run on the big stage.
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