Pictured: Mike Tyson (left), Rafael Nadal (center) and Jalen Milroe (right)
Adding to Netflix’s continuously growing list of sports docuseries, the streamer has recently announced three more upcoming documentaries for boxing legend Mike Tyson, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, and College Football. Here’s what we know so far.
After the success of Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson, the world was given inside access to the training camps of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, and part of that series that impressed audiences was the inside access to Mike Tyson, who had the chance to explain his upbringing in Brownsville, Brooklyn briefly. Now, in his own words, boxing legend Mike Tyson will have the chance to tell his story in a three-part docuseries exclusively on Netflix.
Picture: Mike Tyson during training for his fight against Jake Paul as documented in Countdown: Paul Vs Tyson – Netflix
The series will be directed by Floyd Russ (Untold: Malice at the Palace), and will also be an executive producer. Russ is joined by Ian Orefice of EverWonder Studio, Jim Gray of Scratchy Productions, Michael Hughes and Greg C. Lake of DLP Media Group, and Douglas Banker of Five All In The Fifth.
Mike Tyson had the following to say to Netflix about the upcoming doc:
“Having an opportunity to share my story through the reflective lens of my growth and maturity in a multi-part documentary on Netflix will be a challenging journey, yet a very welcoming one. Most people are too scared to look at their lives objectively, wanting to paint themselves as the hero of their own story. But if we are truly objective, we know we can never be the hero in our own story. We have to be able to face the man in the mirror, taking the good with the bad to give a full account of our contributions in this life. Netflix is the perfect platform to tell my story because of their global reach.”
Picture: Mike Tyson during training for his fight against Jake Paul as documented in Countdown: Paul Vs Tyson – Netflix
In-depth Access to Rafael Nadal’s Final Season
Since 2021, Rafael Nadal has dominated the tennis court, competing against a generation of incredible tennis players, including Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic. His twenty-year career has seen the Spaniard win 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including 14 French Open singles titles, four U.S. Open titles, two Wimbledon championships, two Olympic gold medals, and two Australian Open crowns.
Rafael Nadal beat Casper Ruud in straight sets in the final of the 2022 French Open – Pete Kiehart for The New York Times.
The upcoming sports documentary, with Netflix once again partnering with Skydance Sports, will focus not only on the life and career of Nadal but also on his performance during the 2024 season, which will be the tennis legend’s last.
Nadal had the following to say about the series:
“I never thought I’d do something like this, but I got a call from David Ellison and with his words together with an amazing project they put in front of my eyes it really convinced me this was the right thing to do. Everyone will be able to see how my life has been during my tennis career and particularly in this vey last year I had. It will also show how my life and my tennis career developed through the years. I am sure the final product, the docuseries, will be amazing and that it will be seen around the world. My thanks to David Ellison and his team at Skydance for creating and believing on this project. To my family and my team for allowing being filmed this past year, I know it was not easy for all of us. To my colleagues and peers who have given time to put themselves in front of a camera for some time. And thanks to the tournaments around the world that facilitated the work, it wasn’t easy.
The series promises to deliver on never-before-seen material of Nadal, which has been selected from his personal archive, and unprecedented access to him, his family, and his circle of coaches and advisors.
Picture: Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon
The documentary will be directed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director Zach Heinzerling (Stolen Youth), and will be produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed, and Jon Weinbach for Skydance Sports.
Diego Ávalos, Netflix’s VP of Content for Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics, shared their thoughts on the upcoming documentary:
“Rafael Nadal stands as one of the most influential and greatest figures in the history of sports. We are excited to present his remarkable story to our members, offering an intimate glimpse into his journey to cement his legacy to become the legend he is today. Partnering with our friends at Skydance to celebrate Nadal’s unequivocal career is a true honor.”
Picture: Diego Ávalos, Netflix’s VP of Content for Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics
Box to Box returns with a new College Football Documentary
Box to Box Films, one of the leading producers of sports documentaries, is already responsible for bringing F1: Drive to Survive, Full Swing, Break Point, Sprint, and more! Moving into American Football, Box to Box Films will produce a new sports documentary focusing on the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of America’s college football during the 2024 season.
Netflix has released an official synopsis for the series
“This series places viewers inside some of college football’s most storied programs in the SEC through unfiltered access to their coaches and players on and off the field: on the buses, in the locker rooms, at the barbershops, around the fire pits, running out of the tunnels, and more. We take an exclusive look at key matchups throughout the SEC season to show the passion and drama of college football’s leading conference.”
Confirmed to premiere on Netflix in Summer 2025, the series will consist of 8 x 45-minute episodes. The series is produced by James Gay-Rees, Paul Martin, and Hillary Olsen for Box To Box. Collin Orcutt is the showrunner.
Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game against Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey shared his thoughts on the news:
“This behind-the-scenes docuseries will bring all the drama and pageantry of Southeastern Conference Football to a worldwide Netflix audience. Football in the SEC will be presented in a way never seen before through the elite storytelling skills of Box To Box, the content studio that has produced numerous award-winning Netflix docuseries. We are excited about this new delivery of content for SEC fans everywhere.”
Are you excited to watch the upcoming sports documentaries on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
