Sports documentaries are the new binge-watch genre, survey finds
Betfair set to launch new documentary about Rachael Blackmore
Sports documentaries are the new binge-watch genre – with one in five fans admitting they’re now “go-to” Saturday night viewing, research has found. A poll of 2,000 adults found fans have enjoyed an average of 10 each – with some having clocked more than 30 sporting documentaries.
“Beckham”, “Senna”, and “Welcome to Wrexham” were named the most popular of all time, along with “Pelé”, and “Alex Higgins: The People’s Champion”.
It also emerged 60 percent of those who aren’t sport fans themselves really enjoy watching the shows – and 21 percent watch more sport documentaries now than they have in the last five years.
The research was commissioned to celebrate the launch of Betfair’s new mini-documentary, Serial Winners, which looks at the career of star jockey Rachael Blackmore – who won The Grand National in 2021, and the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup the following year.
A spokesman for Betfair said: “It seems we’ve never had such great access to our sporting heroes.
“In decades gone by, athletes were mysterious and often otherworldly – but now, we can really get a look into what drives them with these high-quality documentaries, which is why we are so excited to give fans a glimpse of Rachael Blackmore’s world.”
The top reasons for enjoying sporting documentaries are for the behind-the-scenes access, and learning about athletes’ struggles and challenges (both 38 percent).
One in three find them inspiring, while 28 percent enjoy a look at exactly what goes into being a true winner.
And for 25 percent, seeing a “time capsule” of what life was like in the past – such as The Last Dance’s picture of the USA in the early 1990s – is really enjoyable.
It also emerged 14 percent have even started following a sport they weren’t previously interested in, after watching a documentary about it.
And 36 percent have tuned into a show about a sport they didn’t really have any interest in, according to the OnePoll.com figures.
Meanwhile, 16 percent even went as far as to say they now prefer watching sporting documentaries, to live sports.
The study also found 28 percent would like to see a documentary made about horse racing. The Rachael Blackmore documentary will be unveiled at “The World’s First Movie Premiere at a Racecourse”, at Saturday’s Betfair Chase at Haydock, Merseyside.
Betfair’s spokesman added: “Horse racing is a sport with a rich history, fascinating characters, and a very interesting future, so it’s great territory for documentary film makers. It’s great to see there’s an appetite for sporting films, and it seems to be growing.”
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