The experience of watching live sports is thrilling enough but time and time again TV shows have proven that a scripted series about a fictional team giving their all to a game while standing side-by-side is also very entertaining. There have been countless great sports TV shows like Friday Night Lights and Ted Lasso that have brought us joy and the feeling of camaraderie that we all want. That’s why we thought of making a list of the 10 very best sports TV shows that you shouldn’t miss out on.
Friday Night Lights (Netflix, Hulu & Prime Video)
Friday Night Lights is a sports drama series created by Peter Berg. Inspired by a 1990 nonfiction book titled Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by author H.G. Bissinger, the NBC, and The 101 Network series is set in the fictional small Texas town of Dillon and it follows the story of coach Eric Taylor as he moves there with his family to coach the Dillon high school football team but there are many problems in school football, the coach isn’t aware of. Friday Night Lights stars Kyle Chandler, Taylor Kitsch, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford, Aimee Teegarden, Jesse Plemons, Minka Kelly, Gaius Charles, Scott Porter, Adrianne Palicki, and Brad Leland.
GLOW (Netflix)
GLOW is a comedy-drama series created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch. The Netflix series is set in Los Angeles in the ’80s and it follows the story of Ruth Wilder, an out-of-work actress who finds her chance at fame by entering the world of women’s wrestling where she will work together with 12 other Hollywood rejects. GLOW stars Alison Brie in the lead role with Betty Gilpin, Sydelle Noel, Gayle Rankin, Chris Lowell, Sunita Mani, Marc Maron, Kate Nash, Shakira Barrera, and Britt Baron starring in supporting roles.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (Max & Rent on Prime Video)
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is a sports drama series created by Mark Borenstein and Jim Hecht. Based on a novel titled Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by author Jeff Pearlman, the HBO series shows us a dramatized version of the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers team where we mostly focus on the beginning of Magic Johnson. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty was canceled after its second season and was not given a chance to complete its story. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty stars John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody, Gaby Hoffman, Tracy Letts, Jason Segel, Julianne Nicholson, Hadley Robinson, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, and Spencer Garrett.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
Ted Lasso is a sports comedy-drama series created by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. Based on the sketches from NBC Sports, the Apple TV+ series follows the story of Ted Lasso, an American football coach as he moves to England to manage a soccer team, even though he doesn’t know the first thing about the game. Ted is an optimistic, determined, and kind guy who wins over everybody who doubts him and he takes this approach to coaching soccer. Ted Lasso stars Sudeikis in the lead role with Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, Juno Temple, Phil Dunster, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, Anthony Head, and Toheeb Jimoh starring in supporting roles.
A League of Their Own (Prime Video)
A League of Their Own is a sports comedy series created by Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson. Based on a 1992 film of the same name directed by Penny Marshall, the Prime Video series is set in 1943 and it shows us the formation of Rockford Peaches, a WWII All-American professional women’s baseball team as they travel across a rapidly changing America. A League of Their Own stars Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Kelly McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, Molly Ephraim, Melanie Field, and Kate Berlant.
Ballers (Netflix, Max & Rent on Prime Video)
Baller is a sports comedy-drama series created by Stephen Levinson. The HBO series follows the story of Spencer Strasmore, a former NFL player who has to find a new career and decides to become the financial manager for his young friends still in the game. While Ballers isn’t as focused on the game as other sports shows it does give us a behind-the-scenes look at the game and its players. Ballers stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role with John David Washington, Omar Benson Miller, Arielle Kebbel, Rob Corddry, Serinda Swan, Dulé Hill, Jazmyn Simon, and Kevin Durand starring in supporting roles.
Heels (Rent on Prime Video)
Heels is a sports drama series created by Michael Waldron. The Starz series follows the story of two brothers who are rivals in the ring one of them is a “heel” (a villain in professional wrestling) and the other one is the “face” (the hero in professional wrestling) as they play out scripted matches to get national attention in their small town. Heels stars Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig in the lead roles with Kelli Berglund, Alison Luff, Mary McCormack, Chris Bauer, Allen Maldonado, Trey Tucker, Mike O’Malley, and AJ Mendez starring in supporting roles.
Shoresy (Hulu)
Shoresy is a Canadian sports comedy series created by Jared Keeso. Serving as a spin-off to Letterkenny, the Hulu series follows the story of Shoresy, an aging hockey player as he moves to Sudbury, Canada to join the senior AAA hockey team who have just lost 20 games in a row and Shoresy has vowed to “never lose again.” Shoresy stars Keeso in the lead role with Tasya Teles, Terry Ryan, Blair Lamora, Celeste Ziegler, Camille Sullivan, Keilani Elizabeth Rose, Kim Cloutier, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, and Ryan McDonell starring in supporting roles.
Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Cobra Kai is a martial arts comedy-drama series created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg. Serving as a sequel series to The Karate Kids film franchise, the Netflix series continues the rivalry of middle-aged Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, as a new generation of karate kids enter the fight. Cobra Kai stars William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertland, Peyton List, Mary Mouser, Martin Kove, Gianni DeCenzo, and Courtney Henggeler.
Swagger (Apple TV+)
Swagger is a sports drama series created by Reggie Rock Bythewood. Inspired by the experiences of NBA player Kevin Durant, the Apple TV+ series follows the story of Jace Carson, the best player in his region to achieve his dream of turning pro he must train harder than anyone but with his coach and mother behind his back, he has a chance of doing everything he wants to do. Swagger stars Isaiah Hill and O’Shea Jackson Jr. in the lead roles with Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, Jason Rivera-Torres, and Tristan Wilds starring in supporting roles.