AMPED-UP ANTICIPATION: SPORTS DOCS IN 2021

Talk'OH! Tuesday

Written by Glenn Javier

A new year means a slate of new and ongoing shows in the world of sports. From the different sporting events of your favorite professional leagues like the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, and MLB to reality series and documentaries, the sports media industry will continue to satisfy its passionate fans and hopefully attract a new generation of fanatics - or even tap other demographics.

Co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix, The Last Dance, a 10-part docu-series featuring basketball icon Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls [highlighting his last year with the team], was undeniably one of the peaks of sports viewing/streaming in the infamous year of 2020. Staying at the top for the most-viewed shows on Netflix [worldwide] and regarded as the highest-rated documentary ever for ESPN, it has set the bar for all succeeding projects in the genre no matter what streaming service they are in.

Other than recently premiered TIGER on HBO Sports which showed the rise and fall of professional golf phenom Tiger Woods, 2021 has more docuseries lined up and we're here to fuel up your anticipation.

[March 12, 2020] NY Post Headline: "The day coronavirus sent the sports world into darkness"; Photo from New York Post

The Day Sports Stood Still

Basketball has a lot to offer in the film, tv, and streaming industry because of how it has impacted many people worldwide. Unlike The Last Dance which focused on the story of a particular team, the second docuseries of HBO Sports this year will highlight sports as a whole and how the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on professional sports leagues, the burden being their global shutdown which meant an industry-wide halt back in March 2020. The film is produced by Chris Paul [NBA All-Star and president of the NBA Players Association] and directed by Emmy-winning Antoine Fuqua.

The film will also feature other relevant issues like athletes being part of the #BlackLivesMatter, a social movement protesting racial injustice that ignited after the murder of George Floyd. The documentary will feature interviews that are quite extensive and full of emotions.

The Day Sports Stood Still is scheduled for release early this year according to our source/s.

The Man in the Arena: Tom Brady

From Golf and Basketball, we move on to American football with none other than icon Tom Brady. Who better to represent this sport in a documentary than the Brady himself who had four Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP trophies, and a whole list of major NFL records including regular and post-season wins, division titles, touchdown passes, passing yards, etc.

Although Brady is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this nine-part docuseries co-produced by ESPN, 199 Productions [Brady's company], and Gotham Chopra of Religion of Sports will focus on his time as the famed quarterback of the New England Patriots as he looks back at some of the milestones of his 20-year career with the team.

Like The Day Sports Stood Still, the release date for The Man in the Arena is still to be determined. As we wait, you can watch the trailer below:

[Untitled] Magic Johnson Film

Last but not least, we go back to the NBA with a documentary from XTR, H.wood Media, NSV, and Delirio Films that will showcase a lot of "Magic". Yes, you read it right. The project's title is still in the works but, like all other biopics, it will be based solely on the life of Los Angeles Lakers' Earvin Johnson or as we all know him by his stage name "Magic". A riveting story that will apparently include the two-time Hall of Famer's famed basketball career.

Apart from the obvious, the doc will also tackle Johnson's business operations as well as his community activism for HIV/AIDS through interviews and archival footage. This isn't the first time Johnson starred in a documentary. There was the 1993 video Magic Johnson: Always Showtime, 2010 HBO television documentary Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, and 2012 ESPN Film's Magic Johnson: The Announcement when he told everyone at a press-con that he was HIV-positive.