From comedies to dramas, sports-themed TV shows make great television. Many sports fans spend the better part of their week keeping track of the latest happenings with their teams. When the season’s over and they have time on their hands, they turn to TV shows for entertainment. Read on to learn about some of the best TV series for sports fans.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Laker Dynasty
The Lakers have had several dynasties, but none has compared to the team during the Magic Johnson era. As betting has become an increasingly popular way for fans to participate in NBA action from afar, checking the odds on sports betting sites has become a popular pastime for many. Keeping an eye out for which team will be the next great dynasty is a question on the minds of many basketball enthusiasts. Those types of fans will enjoy learning about the story of Magic Johnson joining the Lakers in the HBA series, “Winning Time: The Rise of the Laker Dynasty.” The 13-episode biopic tells the story of the Lakers before Magic joined the team in 1979. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves sports.
Ted Lasso
Outside of the US, the term “football” means something very different to what it is for Americans, and this comedy series captures the hilarity of soccer versus American football. The series follows American football coach Ted Lasso as he’s dropped into the English Premier League.
Lasso tries to win over his new team as he deals with his lack of knowledge about football (or soccer as it is to him). The comedy shows the culture clash as this guy from Kansas adapts to his new life in an unfamiliar place. It’s one of the best TV shows on Apple TV+ and well worth watching for a good belly laugh.
Friday Night Lights
As arguably the best sports TV show to grace the small screen, Friday Night Lights is a must-see for sports fans worldwide. While it unfolds like a sports documentary, the series is entirely fiction. The show spans five seasons and captures the excitement and anguish of American football in a small Texas town where the sport is all that matters to the community.
The writers use quality storytelling to explore how football plays out across America, including the importance of winning at all costs, and the human stories behind every victory and defeat. The team did an excellent job adapting the book to the small screen. Few TV shows of any genre have had the same impact, and it won several Emmy Awards during its run.
Glow
With so many great series on Netflix, it’s hard to know where to start when searching for something new. If you’re looking for a sports-themed TV show, you can’t go wrong with Glow. A refresh of the 1980s cult classic about women’s wrestling, this series blends comedy and drama seamlessly, resulting in a fun, nostalgic show.
Over three seasons, the story follows Ruth Wilder as she goes from aspiring actress to auditioning for a new professional wrestling league. Ruth and the other characters learn the ropes before making their debut in the ring. The show won 12 Emmy Awards and has been a fan favorite.
Cobra Kai
The Karate Kid is one of the most iconic martial arts films of all time, and the Netflix series Cobra Kai taps into that nostalgia to pick up from where the movie left off more than 30 years ago. After falling on hard times, the villain, Johnny Lawrence, decides to teach martial arts to the neighborhood outcasts.
The series incorporates never-before-seen footage from the original film to create flashbacks. It’s a comedy-drama that aims to show change is possible, whatever a person’s life circumstances happen to be. It’s also a story of redemption and about pulling one’s life together against all the odds. It has won a Golden Tomato Award from Rotten Tomatoes for Best TV Drama, and an Emmy Award.