Top 20 Best Sports Movies on Netflix 2022

If you are someone who is a sports fanatic, you would want to watch the sports content live. But if there are no live sports events around, then watching a sports movie might be an alternative option.

Now, in this article, we are discussing the current sports movies on Netflix that sports fans should not miss out on. If you're interested, you can feel free to check them out.

Also, we will even show you how to download those sports movies on Netflix so that you can watch them unlimitedly offline on any of your devices.

Read further, and you won't be disappointed.

1. Top 20 Best Sports Movies on Netflix in 2022

The sports fans would want to check out a few of the great sports movies on Netflix. Let us check out a few of the outstanding and inspirational sports movies on Netflix.

• 1) Pele

Pele is a name that does not need any sort of introduction. Even if you have a passing interest in football, you would have heard a lot about Pele. The 2021 Netflix documentary on Pele should be one of the choicest options to capture the man behind the legend.

The movie has a complete mix of archival footage and interviews. The movie captures his life right from when Pele was a young guy to becoming a national hero. You would even find Pele himself in the movie. This is one movie that hardcore Pele fans should not miss watching in their lifetime!

• 2) Real Steel

The movie was released in 2011 and was an immediate crowd puller. The movie belongs to a hybrid of a sports cum science fiction genre. Written by the sci-fi author Richard Matheson, the movie has a retired boxer who looks to train a robot to contend in a futuristic boxing championship where robots are expected to compete.

The plot may appear to be quite ridiculous in more ways than one, but die-hard boxing fans will enjoy this movie. The movie does come with a large number of sports cliches, but you would find the science fiction setting one of the unique options offered by the movie. The futuristic setting of the movie should be one of the exciting options.

• 3) Bleed For This

This is a movie that focuses on outlining one of the historical comebacks in the history of sports. The movie is a biographical movie based on the life of the world champion boxer Vinny Pazienza. The protagonist survives a car crash with a broken neck and can never think of returning to the ring ever again.

The movie follows the recovery of the boxer and his tenacity in regaining strength once again. There have been several movies that speak of comebacks. But this true story-based movie is a must-watch for every sports fan.

• 4) The Dawn Wall

The Dawn Wall is one of the prominent sports documentaries on Netflix. The movie follows the lives of climbers- Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. They both are attempting free climbing the vertical, 3000ft Dawn Wall of El Capitan. If they succeed, this would be the first time in the history of humankind.

The mission took almost six years for the duo, including meticulous planning. The fear of height is something that you may not be comfortable with- but how the duo takes the lead can be inspiring.

• 5) Southpaw

This movie provides you with a sketch into the life of boxing champion Billy. He has risen from lows and has a very loving family life. Billy loses his loving life, and he is broken. The movie is something which you cannot miss for enjoying and experiencing a dramatic story of a champion boxer.

He wants to take back the custody of his daughter from the family care service. He decides to enter the ring once again and revive himself. The boxing scenes are shot in a variety of angles, and that should be one of the huge highlights of the movie. The solid muscular body, aggressive fight sequences, and bruises add more value to this movie.

• 6) Million Dollar Baby

Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie stars Hillary Swank, Morgan Freeman, and Eastwood. This movie is about a woman who wants to be a boxer. It also showcases her relationship with the coach and the personal issues faced by the three main characters. You would enjoy the stellar performance of all the actors in this movie.

The movie won four Oscars, and that should indicate the essence and greatness of the movie. It should be one of the prominent Hollywood sports movies to watch.

• 7) Space Jam

It may not be a sports movie in the real sense of the word, but you would find that it offers you a very enjoyable experience. This is one of those movies in this list that you can watch with your little ones with them enjoying it as well!

The movie showcases Michael Jordan, an all-time popular basketballer, teaming up with Looney Toons to defeat the team of aliens. The aliens have stolen the skills of the NBA players. The movie is geared towards the kids and can be a fun movie indeed! It also stars Bill Murray.

• 8) Bloodsport

If you love martial arts movies, this should be one of the excellent choices for your needs. The movie was released in 1988 and stars Jean-Claude Van Damme. The movie focuses on the life of an American martial artist.

The movie is based on the claims made by the real Frank Dux. The movie features an all-time great sports movie villain, Chong Li. You are bound to experience goosebumps while watching this amazing movie!

• 9) Icarus

The sports movie is quite focused on doping and tries to discover the things that go behind doping. This movie attempts to demonstrate how easy it can be to get away even after you have done doping in a competitive sport.

The movie tries to establish that the screening methods used for doping are quite inefficient. This movie has two documentaries combined into one. The movie is all about the science of doping and how it works.

• 10) Nacho Libre

If you have watched Jack Black movies, you already are aware that he is well known for his comedy timing. Though this movie is related to sports, it does come with a comedy element with a sports background.

A sports movie with a unique background, this one will make you fall in love with it!

• 11) Coach Carter

Coach Carter is a sports film that focuses on becoming a sports coach if you have the right approach towards the game. The sports goods shop owner becomes a basketball coach and helps manage a high school basketball team. The actor Samuel L Jackson lives up to the expectations as a strict and righteous coach.

The movie is based on a true story and showcases the life and success of basketball coach Ken Carter. The story of the coach from the 90s makes it one of the must-watch sports movies on Netflix.

• 12) Athlete A

This 2020 movie is yet another sports-centric movie that offers you access to a controversial story. It talks about the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal that rocked the nation in 2016. The movie has over 400 sportspersons who alleged the coaches and gym owners of sexual assault.

The movie traces the reporter from the Indianapolis Star and focuses primarily on individual reports.

• 13) High Flying Bird

The movie High Flying Bird is one of the classics from the director Steven Soderbergh. The movie is largely based on the real-life 2011 NBA lockout. It is a movie about sports agent Ray Burke (Andre Holland) as he works alongside rookie player Erick Scott (Melvin Gregg), who wants to take up an opportunity to end the lockout.

The movie was shot entirely on an iPhone, which should be yet another reason why you should watch it. The story and the performances are one of the best and showcase the money behind the game more than the actual game itself.

• 14) Enter The Dragon

It is the movie from 1973 but has remained a popular and most-watched sports-centric movie ever. Based on the martial arts, the movie can indeed be a worthy option that would provide you with a high if you are a Bruce Lee fan. That was the last movie by Lee.

The movie has been parodied and referenced as one of the classic movies ever. It has been a movie that has become influential on every other martial arts movie ever. You would fall in love with the performance of Bruce Lee and his blessed presence.

• 15) The Battered Bastards of Baseball

The 2014 documentary is all about rooting for an underdog team. The movie talks about the old minor league Class-A baseball team, the Portland Mavericks. The team existed through the five seasons that would run from 1973 through 1977.

An original Netflix production, the movie has a good number of real characters. The story is quite compelling and entertaining. Even if you are not a sports fan, you will find it a rewarding option.

• 16) Invictus

This is yet another movie by Clint Eastwood that makes it into this list. This historical sports drama is based on the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The plot also has Nelson Mandela rallying behind South Africa’s rugby team. It showcases both sports and the dismantling of apartheid. If you are a rugby fan, you can't miss this movie!

The movie includes context about how the country clears itself from the apartheid era. Apart from the sports part, you would love Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela. He gives a very fitting and wonderful performance as a powerful leader.

• 17) Rush

The 2013 movie is indeed quite unseen, but it does pack in a very solid performance. It is a movie that focuses on the rivalry between the two Formula One drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). The movie is set during the 1976 Formula One racing season.

The movie comes with an action-oriented, mean-spirited plot and portrayal. The car racing sequences are quite interesting and suspenseful to the core. The lead actors, their animosity, and the great moments in the movies impress a lot.

• 18) Miracle

Sports during the Cold war period were quite interesting and unique in their own right. Olympics and other sports events were a true showdown between the US and Soviet Union. This movie focuses on the hockey match between the all-powerful Soviet union team and the hodgepodge US team in the 1980 Olympics.

The preparations by the American team for this event and the non-traditional coaching by college hockey coach Herb Brooks form the main plot of the movie. The semi-final match and the "Miracle on Ice'' would make it a very rewarding experience as a great sports movie on Netflix.

• 19) Q Ball

Are you a basketball fan? The movie would perhaps appeal a lot to you in such a scenario. The plot follows the Warriors basketball team made up of inmates at San Quentin Prison. You would also find that it offers you a great experience in terms of the best football comedy.

The game sequences in the movie can be quite interesting, but you would also find a great degree of entertainment through the player's stories which can be quite captivating. If you love team sport and spirit, this one is the right movie that you would want to explore.

• 20) Soul Surfer

Surfing is a unique game, and perhaps not many movies are centered around it. It is all about a surfer who has lost an arm in a shark attack. The movie chronicles the recovery of the athlete. It also showcases the determination of the player.

If you love inspirational stories, you will indeed fall in love with the movie. The biography is a great story of commitment and hope. It can double up as an exceptional option for sports movies on Netflix.

2. How to Download Sports Movies on Netflix to Watch Offline

There are so many good sports movies available on streaming platforms but sadly, no one platform has them all. And it obviously doesn’t make sense to have subscriptions of them each time you want to watch the movie again some months or years later.

Downloading the movie and keeping it offline means you get to create your own library of great sports movies and watch it at your own leisure. Hell, it means that you can even share it with your family and friends.

To help you download movies from any streaming platform, you can make use of the Netflix video downloader offered by StreamFab. It is an application that can be used on your Windows or Mac laptop. It has an inbuilt web browser that shows a Download button whenever you access your steaming accounts like on Netflix on this browser and go to a video page.

It has multiple features that just keep getting better with each upgrade:

• Download videos at 1080p and audio at EAC3 5.1 quality. Currently, there is no support for the 4K content that some streaming services offer but that is supposed to come soon too.
• Batch download and accelerated download speed mean you can download whole seasons at one click and in a very short span of time.

• This one application supports download from any major streaming platform including Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, ESPN Plus, etc.
• The downloaded videos have got no ads
• MP4 video format means that you can use any device or application to play these videos.
• Download the video with the audio and subtitle of your own language and not all of them.

• You can download the subtitles separately in SRT format or you can remux them with the video too.
• All the video metadata is downloaded with the video. If you plan to import this downloaded video to your media server like PlayerFab 7, Plex, Kodi, etc. you don’t need to worry about organizing this in your library. This metadata will also be useful if you decide to burn the media file to a DVD or Blu-ray.

The Concluding Thoughts

Sports movies always have a unique nature of being inspirational. Even when you are not directly involved in any sports genre, the story and the plot should be a great option as an inspirational and motivational experience.

We assume that the top 20 sports movies on Netflix mentioned in this compilation will provide you with a great enjoyable and inspirational viewing experience. Do watch them with your friends and family and experience one of the best streaming experiences ever.

More so, in case you want to download the sports movies for totally offline viewing, you can use the Netflix downloader software offered by StreamFab, which should be the best one on the market to download on-demand streaming videos from Netflix.