Stay Active: How Athlete-Led Studios Are Revolutionizing Sports Content

In December, Luminate shared a report about sports content on streaming services, excluding live games. Their “2024 Sports Shoulder Content Report” looked at how sports documentaries have done over the past five years. It also examined popular Netflix series like Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Quarterback.

Many of these series are made by production companies associated with athletes. However, some have struggled to maintain engaging stories throughout their seasons. For instance, the follow-up to Quarterback, called Receiver, and season two of Full Swing saw a drop in viewership.

Ross Raphael, a talent agent with CAA, noted that the report didn’t cover data from the end of the year when more shoulder content became available. He suggested that with the increase in productions, the quality could suffer. “The volume has gone up, making it harder to keep a high standard of quality,” he explained, but added that quality content will always find a way to stand out.

Streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video see this shoulder content as a nice addition to their live sports offerings. During the pandemic, the need for engaging sports content surged. Many networks wanted to replicate the success of ESPN’s The Last Dance, which averaged 6.7 million viewers per episode and became a major hit.

Raphael pointed to the success of Meadowlark Media’s The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox on Netflix as a sign that sports documentaries are still popular. “It was a big hit, staying in the top 10 for nearly two weeks with great viewer retention,” he said.

Some production companies are consistently producing captivating content. Box-to-Box, known for Drive to Survive, and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions are notable examples.

Others, like Unanimous Media, a studio created by Stephen Curry, have expanded their focus. They made the Oscar-winning documentary The Queen of Basketball and are also behind the ABC series Holey Moley. Unanimous Media has not limited itself to traditional films and TV shows. In 2020, they started production on a documentary about Curry’s rise from Davidson College to the NBA, called Underrated. Additionally, they are exploring projects in comics, books, podcasts, and gaming.

Payton, Unanimous Media’s CEO, expressed confidence in their growth. “All our projects aim to inspire and have great potential. We realized we have a lot of opportunities to explore,” he said. The company projects increased revenue for 2024 and has a deal with NBCUniversal, producing series for Peacock, including the recent comedy Mr. Basketball, which stars Curry.

Despite some criticism of recent sports content, Raphael believes the interest in it continues. He noted that audiences are eager to learn more about athletes’ lives, especially as they increasingly control their narratives. “Athletes owning their content creates a unique connection,” he said, highlighting how powerful marketing and access to these stories are in today’s media landscape.

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Netflix,Prime Video,sports documentaries