We’re suckers for a good sports film or documentary here at Balls. We’ve seen some shocking sports films in the past, but when they’re good, they’re usually very, very good. Prime Video have got a great selection to offer – and we’ve gathered some of the best together right here for you. Here are the best sports documentaries on Prime.
Sports Documentaries on Prime Video
CRASH AND BURN
IMDb: 7/10
This documentary follows the story of Irishman Tommy Byrne. Who was described as many as the greatest racing driver the world never saw.
Byrne went from amateur racing to F1 in the space of four years and for a brief stint in the 80's he was the world's greatest driver, however, Byrne was too wild for sport and it would end up being his biggest downfall in his career.
Eddie Jordan the former team owner, who worked with both Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, will tell you: 'Forget Schuey and Senna - Tommy Byrne was the best of them all.' His rise was meteoric and his fall spectacular.
Watch Crash and Burn with a free 30-day Prime Video trial here.
BYE BYE BARRY
IMDb: 8.1/10
A sports documentary that uncovers one of the NFL's greatest mysteries.
Why did Barry Sanders decide to leave the NFL at the height of his career? Sanders was at the height of his career and in his prime when he left the NFL world in shock.
Sanders was chasing the all-time NFL rushing record when he decided to take a trip to England and when he returned he never stepped back onto the pitch again.
24 years after the event, Sanders sits down with Amazon, as he looks back on the events that unfolded to leave him never wanting to step on a field again.
This is one of the best uncovering sports documentaries on Prime Video.
Watch Bye Bye Baby with a free 30-day trial here.
THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
This sports documentary focuses on Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The documentary focuses on understanding the player's genius and knowledge of the game, as well as uncovering his past through archive family footage.
The Edge of Everything also shows O'Sullivan's rise to fame in the snooker world beginning during his teenage years and how he dealt with that.
Watch The Edge of Everything with a free 30-day trial here.
KELCE
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Amazon's specialty is following famous sports teams, and franchises throughout a single season, however with the Kelce documentary they took a new approach, deciding to focus solely on Philadelphia's center Jason Kelce.
Kelce allows full access into his professional and personal life throughout Kelce's 2022/23 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. The documentary begins with Kelce pondering the hardest decision a professional athlete can make.
At 36 years old, he now has to start thinking about whether or not it is time for him to retire yet.
Watch Kelce with a free 30-day trial here.
Watch the Kelce documentary here.
THE ALL OR NOTHING SERIES
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Amazon have tracked so many of the world’s best teams with the All or Nothing series that even we were surprised. There’s the well-known ones, Manchester City, Spurs and the latest one Arsenal (the best bits of which you can check out here) but they’ve also followed the New Zealand All Blacks and NFL teams like the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers (among others).
The All or Nothing series gives a brilliant access-all-areas insight at some of the world’s best sporting teams and is well worth a watch. If for nothing else, following Mikel Arteta in an behind the scenes during his reign in charge of Arsenal is worth any price of admission for us.
It is one of this year's best sports documentaries on prime.
Watch The All Or Nothing Series with a free 30-day trial here.
SIR ALEX FERGUSON: NEVER GIVE IN
IMDb: 8.1/10
Directed by his son Jason, this documentary appears to be the definitive retelling of the career of the legendary Man United manager Alex Ferguson.
Beginning with his time as a player at Rangers and moving all the way up to the present day, the documentary takes in all of his playing and managerial careers, as well as his personal life - including his recovery from a brain haemorrhage in 2018.
If you weren't captivated enough by that, Eric Cantona also appears as an interviewee. That's all we need to say.
Watch Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In with a free 30-day trial here.
ANDY MURRAY: RESURFACING
IMDb: 7.8/10
Scotsman Andy Murray has had a turbulent few years. Despite being an Olympic gold medalist and three-time Grand Slam champion, he has suffered badly from injuries during the past decade and, at one stage, early retirement seemed inevitable for Murray.
This remarkable documentary follows Murray during the time of his injury layoff, giving an amazing perspective of the impact it had on his personal and sporting life.
Watch Andy Murray: Resurfacing with a free 30-day trial here.
SENNA
IMDb: 8.5/10
It's quite simple: Senna might be the best sports documentary film of the past 15 years.
The remarkable documentary from director Asif Kapadia follows Brazilian Formula One icon Ayrton Senna during his ten year spell in F1, following his rivalry with Alain Prost, his three world championship wins, and culminating in the horribly tragic events at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
It's a gripping watch, and it's told entirely through archive footage, with no cutaways to interviewees or modern day clips.
With the central character of Ayrton Senna being such a fascinating man on top of all the above, and the story being so gripping, there really isn't any excuse for not giving Senna a watch.
Watch Senna with a free 30-day trial here.
DIEGO MARADONA
IMDb: 7.7/10
Asif Kapadia’s 2019 documentary on Diego Maradona is one of the best sports documentaries we’ve ever seen. Following Maradona exclusively during his seven years at Napoli in the 1980s, it tells a harrowing tale.
READ HERE: Over 30 Years On, Maradona Balling To 'Live Is Life' Is Still Amazing
We can’t begin to do the film’s story justice but, using the archive footage approach that made Kapadia’s 2011 film Senna so successful, he beautifully tells the story of a footballing genius who got dragged into a life of crime. You won’t be able to take your eyes off it.
(There is also a fantastically unexpected appearance for Jimmy Magee. If you’re not already sold on this film, we don’t know what will convince you.)
Watch Diego Maradona with a free 30-day trial here.
MAKE US DREAM
IMDb: 7.9/10
Steven Gerrard is undoubtedly in the pantheon of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players. Influential in their 2005 Champions League final win and two-time winner of the PFA Player of the Year, he is surely the greatest player of the Premier League era for the club.
READ HERE: Steven Gerrard Admits He Regrets His Behaviour After One Old Firm Derby
But he retired from playing without ever winning a Premier League title. This documentary – made with Gerrard’s participation – takes a fascinating look at the career of one of the Premier League’s greatest ever players and his quest for that elusive league medal.
Watch Make Us Dream with a free 30-day trial here.
FASTER
IMDb: 7.7/10
MotoGP is one of the coolest and most dangerous sports out there. Riders reaching speeds of 300kph+ while racing side-by-side? The element of danger, coupled with the eccentric personalities in the paddock, makes it a consistently thrilling watch.
This 2003 fly-on-the-wall documentary follows two consecutive seasons of the championship, just as the legendary Valentino Rossi was rising to the top of the sport. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, it’s a thrilling light watch, well worth checking out for any sports fan.
Watch Faster with a free 30-day trial here.
TAKE US HOME: LEEDS UNITED
IMDb: 8/10
Leeds United’s return to the Premier League was one of the biggest sporting stories of 2020 and they’ve been a fantastic addition to the top-flight with their exciting brand of football. It was an emotional return for fans, after 16 years away from the first division.
This documentary – narrated by Russell Crowe – follows Marcelo Bielsa and his team during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons in the Championship, as they fight to return to the Premier League. It’s a captivating story and, like the All or Nothing series, provides incredible behind-the-scenes access.
Watch Take Us Home: Leeds United with a free 30-day trial here.
THE CLASS OF 92
IMDb: 7.9/10
Need we introduce the famed 'Class of 92' at Manchester United? The youth team at the club that won the 1992 FA Youth Cup has become one of the most famous in the club's history, forming a core part of the team that won an iconic treble in 1999.
With Class of 92 members David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Ryan Giggs all contributing to this documentary series, it provides an unparalleled insight into life on one of the greatest teams in modern football history. The soundtrack is also excellent, drawing from the "Madchester" music scene of the 1990s.
This is one of the best nostalgic sports documentaries on Prime Video.
Watch The Class Of '92 with a free 30-day trial here
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