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As I wrote earlier this month, we're at a remarkable time for sports documentaries. In addition to the five mentioned in that past, there are a whole lot of other projects recently announced, with the four in this post all premiering in the next 10 days. Let's get to them!
Untold: The Death and Life of Lamar Odom (debut: March 31 on Netflix)
The Untold series of sports documentaries on Netflix is now in its sixth volume, with the four installments there coming out each Tuesday over the next four weeks. These have covered a lot of interesting sports topics, from the highly-prominent (Manti Te'o, Tim Donaghy, Johnny Manziel, the 2005-09 Florida Gators) to bizarre stories more off the beaten track (the Danbury Trashers, Mardy Fish, the 1983 America's Cup). I spoke to Maclain and Chapman Way, who developed this as a documentary series, around each of the first three installments, and perhaps the key quote there was Chapman's line ahead of the third series (in the last link above) on how they'd approached doing bigger stories even if they weren't fully settled or clear:
“One of the things that I think Untold is starting to do is focus on maybe slighter higher-profile stories and subject. I still think we love being able to get a few of the lesser-known stories in there that people might not be so familiar with, like America’s Cup and the Trashers. That’s vital to the universe that is Untold. But I think we’ve found that audiences really connect with stories that are raw, and provocative, and complex, and maybe don’t offer easy answers, and leave it up to the audience to decide how they feel about some of these subjects. And I think that’s something that we’re excited to keep exploring.”
The Ways remain as executive producers (along with several others) for each of these four new films, but Ryan Duffy is now the Untold showrunner, and he directed the first one here on Odom. However, that "raw, provocative, and complex" ethos certainly seems to still fit these newest films, and perhaps especially this first one on Odom's 2015 medical incident in particular. Here's the synopsis from a release:
In 2015, Lamar Odom was found unresponsive at the Love Ranch, a brothel outside Las Vegas. Through never before heard revelations and firsthand accounts, the documentary peels back the public narrative to expose the private struggles, hidden pressures, and pivotal decisions throughout Lamar's life that led to that moment. Featuring candid interviews with Lamar Odom, Khloé Kardashian, and the former manager of the Love Ranch, the film revisits the infamous night that nearly cost Lamar his life.
Directed by Duffy and produced by Propagate and Stardust Frames Productions, this one debuts on Netflix Tuesday. Here's a trailer:
March In The Garden (debut: 6:30 p.m. ET April 1 on FS1)
This project has an interesting dual focus: it's specifically covering Big East men's basketball teams (including the UConn Huskies, now off to the Final Four after a thrilling last-second win over Duke Sunday) through the end of the 2025-26 regular season and then the Big East Tournament, but it's doing so with a wider look at the Big East's history and at their tournament's since-1983 run at Madison Square Garden. Here's more from Fox's release Monday:
“The BIG EAST tournament is one of the most iconic traditions in college basketball,” said Barry Nugent, Vice President, Development and Original Programming, FOX Sports. “With this new film, we wanted to go beyond just the exhilarating action on the court and capture the leadership behind the teams as they navigate one of the most defining moments of the season.”
Featuring several of the BIG EAST’s most prominent coaches from past and present, including legendary St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino, UConn head coach Dan Hurley, former Villanova head coach Jay Wright among others, the film follows programs across the conference during the final stretch of the 2025-26 college basketball season, offering insight into how coaches prepare their teams for the pressure of March both on and off the court.
Set against the backdrop of tournament week earlier this month on FS1, the film captures the most pivotal game-changing moments, from the outstanding performances and early round upsets, to the buildup of the highly anticipated showdown between UConn and defending BIG EAST champion St. John’s, culminating in an unforgettable championship and the intense emotion and celebration that followed the final buzzer in The Garden.
...The documentary also features appearances from the sports’ biggest personalities including FOX Sports Studio and Game Analyst Casey Jacobsen, BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman, prominent media members Mike Francesa, Dana O’Neil, and Roger Rubin, legendary basketball stars Metta World Peace, Mark Jackson, and Walter Berry, alongside current college basketball players Zuby Ejiofor and Nigel James Jr., as well as MSG Executive Vice President Joel Fisher.
This one is executive produced by Tom Farrell, Matt Howley and Chayne Gregg of The Workshop Content Studios along with Brad Zager and Barry Nugent from Fox Sports. Here's a trailer for it:
Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN (debut: 8:30 p.m. ET April 6 on ESPN)
The origin story of ESPN is quite something, as anyone who's read much on it (I particularly recommend James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales' Those Guys Have All The Fun ESPN oral history) knows well. And it's interesting to see this get an ESPN documentary treatment. The release's list of interviewees, including many prominent ex-ESPN figures, is certainly promising:
“Imagine someone challenging you to start a new television network in an industry you know very little about, with no money, no programming, and no advertisers – and somehow turn it into one of the most recognizable brands in the world,” said director Greg DeHart. “Bill and Scott Rasmussen did exactly that in just 14 months. We’re grateful ESPN entrusted us with the opportunity to tell the remarkable and improbable story of how this bold idea became a network that transformed sports media.”
...The documentary features interviews with Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen, and a wide range of pioneers and leaders who helped shape the network, including Chuck Pagano, Mary Walton, George Grande, George Conner, Geoff Bray, Rosa Gatti, George Bodenheimer, Chris Berman, Bob Ley, Jimmy Pitaro, Mike Soltys, Josh Krulewitz, Howard Baldwin, Dennis Randall, Ken Boudreau, Mike Buckler, Al Parinello, John Leone, Greg Wyatt, and J.B. Doherty.
This project is directed by DeHart and produced by Tenero Productions, with Garrett Sutton as executive producer and long-time ESPN PR vet and ESPN historian Mike Soltys as a producer. Here's a trailer:
Untold: Chess Mates (debut: April 7 on Netflix)
This next Untold feature covers a bizarre story of allegations of cheating at the highest level of chess, which has been a big deal in that world but received limited attention outside it. However, Joe Posnanski has covered the Magnus Carlsen-Hans Niemann controversy here multiple times over the years, with those posts probably a surprise who just want him to talk baseball but delightful for the rest of us who like interesting sports stories regardless of where they arise. And this one is definitely a good story, especially with the fixation on "cheating" and what it does or doesn't comprise (I still like my 2022 interview with author Dan Levitt on his co-written Intentional Balk: Baseball’s Thin Line Between Innovation and Cheating book on historical baseball cheating for the discussion of how interesting the conversation on this has been over the years). Here's a synopsis from Netflix's release:
Magnus Carlsen, widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, is challenged by Hans Niemann, a rising star who capitalizes on the meteoric growth of online chess. Niemann’s ascension culminates in an epic, controversy-shrouded victory over Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, eventually leading to allegations and revelations of cheating. Determined to clear his name, Niemann fights his way back to the top of the chess world, setting the stage for a high-stakes rematch with Carlsen in 2024.
Directed by Thomas Tancred, this one premieres April 7 on Netflix. Here's a trailer:
There are already several more documentaries announced for later in April, which I plan to run down in another post soon. But, as always, if you have tips on more upcoming sports documentary projects, or anything else you'd like to see covered at Bucholtz Sports Media, you can reach me at andrew@andrewbucholtz.com, or on Bluesky or X. Thanks for reading!
