When it comes to Drama, Sport has an incredible ability to capture it at its highest levels and although you cannot beat the unbridled thrill of 90 minutes on the pitch or 75 laps on the racetrack, there is one medium that captures those behind the scenes moments perfectly.
In the last few years the streaming giant Netflix has looked for more original content to add to its platform and although it has not followed rival Amazon’s suit, in purchasing the rights to major sporting tournaments, it has been a home for many incredible longform stories.
While when we mention Amazon, this season they have entered their toe into the live football arena, with 20 Premier League games available via their Prime Video platform and after such positive feedback, you get the feeling that number will increase in the next few years.
In the meantime, both they and Netflix have a litany of sporting documentaries to pour through and here is a quick look at some of very best that are currently available.
All or Nothing
This warts and all look at Manchester City was undoubtedly an eye-opener and with viewers getting to see what really made Pep Guardiola and his blue machine tick, it allowed a greater appreciation of how a Premier League club operates on a day to day basis.
Such was the impact of the documentary that Amazon have looked to track one of their Premier League counterparts and after selecting Tottenham as the destination for their cameras, it is fair to say that they could not have picked a better club.
The North London outfit have already changed their manager this season, as Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino and with the upheaval that has come with this switch in personnel, this is going to make for a very interesting viewing session.
Inside Borussia Dortmund
If you like your football with a more continental feel, then the Amazon cameras have also been granted access to Signal-Iduna Park and that means the movements of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho are now available for all to see.
A four-part series is the order of the day, as we get a glimpse of one of Germany’s biggest clubs and their bid to win the Bundesliga title (Spolier: They once again must watch Bayern Munich become champions for another year)
Sunderland ‘Til I Die
There is no doubt that the Amazon documentaries that have either been created or are in the pipeline are slickly produced and a joy to watch. However, if you like your sporting drama to be a little rougher around the edges, this is the one for you.
Tracking Sunderland’s ailing plight during the 2017/18 season, it is one that sees them suffer a second relegation in as many seasons and like the upcoming Tottenham documentary above, it is also one that sees a switch of manager early in the campaign.
Not only that, but you get the feeling that this documentary tells a real emotive story and it is one that manages to veer well away from a pseudo promotional piece, which it’s Netflix counterpart Formula 1: Drive To Survive, is guilty of leaning towards.
If you want pain, anguish and heartbreak then the Sunderland offering is the documentary for you and if you manage to binge the first series in double quick time, a new series is waiting just around the corner.
