ESPN is constantly adding new programming to ESPN+ every month. With live sporting events, debate-style roundtables, and highlight-driven presentations, ESPN and its family of networks are still the best destinations for round-the-clock sporting coverage. With multiple networks and a streaming service, ESPN continues to make entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking content for every major sport. From documentaries about Tom Brady to behind-the-scenes access in the UFC to entertaining shows hosted by legendary athletes like Dwayne Johnson, ESPN+ has something for every sports fan.
Whether you love the excitement of live sports or appreciate a good documentary, ESPN+ features a variety of sports programming in every major sport. Scrolling through ESPN+’s extensive library can be daunting, so we compiled a list of some of the best shows to watch on the ESPN+ streaming service.
Looking for more shows to watch? We have guides to the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Disney+, and the best shows on Amazon Prime Video.
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Once Upon A Time In Anaheim (2023)
Usually, sports movies are based on real teams or players. In the case of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the movie inspired the team. In 1992, a ragtag group of peewee hockey players rallied under coach Gordon Bombay to win the Minnesota State Championship in The Mighty Ducks. The film became a surprise hit at the box office, earning $50 million against a $14 million budget. One year later, Disney CEO Michael Eisner, inspired by the underdog message of the film, brought the Mighty Ducks to life by bringing pro hockey to Anaheim.
Without players or coaches, Eisner assembled a hockey franchise within one year, and they became the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. At first, the team struggled, becoming one of the worst teams in the NHL. Once Upon A Time In Anaheim chronicles the early days of the Mighty Ducks and their journey from the laughing stock of the league to Stanley Cup contenders.
144 (2021)
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many professional sports leagues, including the WNBA. The WNBA typically plays a spring to early fall schedule, but COVID-19 jeopardized the league as canceling the season became a legitimate option. However, the players, coaches, and WNBA management agreed to play in a bubble at IMG Academy, a single site where every game would be played in a shortened season.
144 is the story of how the bubble came to be as 144 players across 12 teams played 147 games from July to October 2020. The documentary also depicts how the league handled social justice and activism among players at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Tournament: A History of ACC Men's Basketball (2022)
The story of how one of the premier college basketball tournaments came to be is the subject of The Tournament: A History of ACC Men’s Basketball. The 10-part series covers different eras of the conference, starting with how the original tournament in 1954. At that time, the NCAA Tournament awarded just one berth per conference. There were no at-large bids like there are in today’s NCAA tournament.
The ACC revolutionized college basketball by becoming the only league to determine which team would win the conference with a tournament to crown a champion. From Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski to Ralph Sampson and Christian Laettner, The Tournament highlights some of the most influential coaches and players in the game’s history. It’s a must-watch for any college basketball fan.
SportsCenter (1979)
8.1/10If you’ve ever watched ESPN, the jingle DaDaDa, DaDaDa is probably in your mind. After 40-plus years, SportsCenter is still ESPN’s flagship program. The sporting news program changed the way the media covers sports.
With highlight clips, news packages, in-depth analysis, and interviews, SportsCenter provides up-to-the-minute information on every major sport. What started as a show that would air once a day has progressed to over 12 live shows daily. The series continues to serve as a go-to program for many sports fans looking to stay up-to-date on their favorite teams and leagues.
Player 54: Chasing the XFL Dream (2023)
The XFL has its version of the NFL’s Hard Knocks with Player 54: Chasing the XFL Dream. The docuseries focuses on the creation of the league under new ownership from Dany Garcia (Black Adam) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Red Notice). After the league filed for bankruptcy in April 2020, Garcia and Johnson purchased the league in August 2020, and the league began its inaugural season in February 2023.
The 54 symbolizes the odd-man out of an NFL roster, which only carries 53 players. The series focuses on the dreamers of the XFL, the castoff football players and coaches looking to continue their careers in the sport they love.
On The Clock (2023)
Arguably the most important position in professional sports is quarterback. A good quarterback can positively set an NFL franchise up for the next decade, but a bad quarterback can set a team back for years. Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, decided to evaluate and mentor the top four prospects at the position ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The result became On The Clock, a four-part original series that chronicles the journey of Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson, from the 2022 college football season to the NFL Draft. The Manning brothers provide an insightful look into the pressures of being a top quarterback and what it takes to succeed at the position.
Fate of a Sport (2022)
Lacrosse is typically viewed as a niche sport that can never become as popular as football, basketball, baseball, and hockey, especially at the professional level. There was a running joke that pro lacrosse players needed 9-to-5 jobs during the week to support themselves due to lacrosse’s low salaries. In 2020, one man, Paul Rabil, one of the greatest pro players to ever pick up a stick, changed the trajectory of the sport.
Fate of a Sport depicts Rabil’s pursuit to create his own professional lacrosse league, which would become the Premiere Lacrosse League (PLL). Imagine Michael Jordan decided to create his basketball league while on the Chicago Bulls or Derek Jeter attempted to start another baseball league as a member of the New York Yankees. That’s essentially what Rabil tried to do and succeeded. Fate of a Sport is a fascinating view into how one player and his older brother strived to change professional lacrosse for the better.
UFC Embedded (2014)
8.3/10Go behind the scenes in the life of an MMA fighter in UFC Embedded. Think of UFC Embedded as MMA’s version of Hard Knocks. Before every pay-per-view event, the UFC documents the days leading up to fight night through the eyes of the fighters on the main card. It’s an all-access video blog series that features interviews with the fighters, family members, friends, and coaches.
From training in the gym and sparring with teammates to signing autographs and making media appearances, the series chronicles every aspect of fight week, providing the fans with an inside look into what it takes to be a UFC athlete.
Eli's Places (2021)
Eli Manning explores the intricacies and wonders of college football in Eli’s Places. Serving as the spinoff to Peyton’s Places, Eli’s Places focuses on college football as the youngest Manning brother travels around the country, exploring what makes college football a way of life.
Eli travels to some of college football’s most iconic locations, such as Notre Dame and the Rose Bowl, and interviews legends of the sport along the way, including Jim McMahon and Tim Tebow. Eli even went undercover at Penn State walk-on tryouts as “Chad Powers” in one of the standout episodes of season 2. Eli’s Places is a fun, upbeat view of a game loved by so many fans nationwide.
30 for 30 (2009)
Vince's Places (2022)
The Last Dance (2020)
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9.1/10Peyton's Places (2019)
Bananaland (2022)
The Ultimate Fighter (2005)
Detail: From The Mind of Daniel Cormier (2019)
Man in the Arena: Tom Brady (2021)
The Captain (2022)
NFL Primetime (1970)
America's Caddie (2020)
Dana White's Contender Series (2017)
