Picture: Netflix
There is a limit to the number of ongoing sports documentaries on Netflix. Ahead of its season 2 launch, it’s been confirmed that Netflix has no current plans to continue filming the Six Nations for a third season covering the upcoming 2025 season.
The cancelation news comes from Six Nations Rugby CEO Tom Harrison at a media event in Rome (via Tom Sansom at Ruck), where season 2 premiered to the press before its January 29th release. They state that Netflix has opted not to move forward with season 3 of the show. Harrison said, “With respect to Netflix, they have made the strategic decision not to continue beyond Season Two with Six Nations full contact,” adding, “Whilst we are disappointed about this decision, we understand it and reflect that this is a broad strategic decision that they have made at global level, reflecting their ongoing strategy towards sports documentaries.”
The series, which premiered with eight episodes in January 2024, was part of the streamer’s massive and continued expansion into sports-adjacent documentary programming in recent years. This trend kicked off Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which boomed in popularity and is often attributable to the rise of the sport in popularity in the US (although that’s debated). Netflix has since had success covering golf with Full Swing and the NFL with Quarterback and Receiver.
The cancelation news doesn’t come as a complete surprise given that season 1 failed to make a notable impression in Netflix’s top 10s following its release. It follows in the footsteps of several sports documentaries struggling to make profound impacts in the Netflix top 10s. Six Nations: Full Contact season 1 missed out on the global top 10s following its first week of availability but did feature in the daily top 10s in a dozen countries, with Ireland being the stand-out success with it featuring in the TV top 10s for 26 days. Here’s a full breakdown of its performance:
- Australia (1 day in the top 10)
- Belgium (1 day)
- Canada (1 day)
- Malta (2 days)
- Switzerland (2 days)
- New Zealand (4 days)
- Luxembourg (5 days)
- South Africa (5 days)
- Portugal (6 days)
- France (9 days)
- United Kingdom (15 days)
- Ireland (26 days)
Six Nations: Full Contact season 2 will premiere on Netflix at the end of January 2025 and chart the 2024 Rugby League championship. According to Netflix, the new season will give “fans an insight into behind-the-scenes moments, as the best teams in Europe battle it out in some of the biggest matches in the rugby calendar to take home the prestigious trophy.”
Netflix’s 2025 sports documentaries include new documentaries and docu-series on tennis, cricket, the Tour de France, basketball, college football, baseball, the NFL, boxing, and the F1 academy.
Are you disappointed that Six Nations: Full Contact season 3 will not be streaming on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
