There’s something about sports movies. They capture the raw emotion, dedication, and sheer spirit found in individuals, teams, and competitions. These films celebrate perseverance, triumph over adversity, and the bonds forged through shared struggle. They deliver clear, impactful narratives that can show us what true grit looks like and inspire us long after the final whistle.
However, its not always easy finding exactly what you’re after. To help you, we’ve compiled our expert list of the top 20 best sports movies to stream now. Our selection includes everything from deeply inspiring true stories and hilarious underdog comedies, to timeless classic sports dramas. Keep reading to discover where you can start streaming the best sports movies available today.
What are the best sports movies to stream now?
When ranking the top 20 best sports movies, we had you in mind. This is why we’ve based our selections primarily on public sentiment, scouring the internet for reviews, ratings, and comments across the globe. We aim to give you the widest consensus of the best sports movies out there, and our method helps us put the spotlight on truly impactful films, from unbelievable true stories and raucous underdog comedies to classic sports dramas.
For each film, you’ll find its genre, the director, and the cast. We also include the streaming service where it’s available, full title, and a concise synopsis, offering you a complete and helpful overview to guide you to your next winning watch.
Happy Gilmore 2
Comedy •Sport •Drama
Overview
Happy Gilmore isn’t done with golf — not by a long shot. Since his retirement after his first Tour Championship win, Gilmore returns to finance his daughter’s ballet classes.
Director
Kyle Newacheck
Duration
115 minutes
The Iron Claw
Drama •Sport
Overview
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
Director
Sean Durkin
Cast
Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney
Duration
133 minutes
Happy Gilmore
Comedy •Sport
Overview
Failed hockey player-turned-golf whiz Happy Gilmore — whose unconventional approach and antics on the green courts the ire of rival Shooter McGavin — is determined to win a PGA tournament so he can save his granny’s house with the prize money. Meanwhile, an attractive tour publicist tries to soften Happy’s image.
Director
Dennis Dugan
Cast
Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, Allen Covert
Duration
92 minutes
The Karate Kid
Drama •Sport •Action •Family •Adventure •Kids
Overview
Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, Lucille, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of high school students, led by Ali’s ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei, John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
Director
John G. Avildsen
Cast
Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Randee Heller
Duration
127 minutes
Bend It Like Beckham
Comedy •Drama •Romance •Sport
Overview
Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
Director
Gurinder Chadha
Cast
Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan
Duration
108 minutes
Next
Sci-fi •Action •Thriller •Adventure •Mystery •Reality •Sport
Overview
Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson has a secret which torments him: he can see a few minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name in Vegas, performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling “winnings.” But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.
Director
Lee Tamahori
Cast
Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann, Jim Beaver
Duration
96 minutes
Creed
Drama •Sport •Action •Adventure
Overview
The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.
Director
Ryan Coogler
Cast
Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashād, Andre Ward
Duration
133 minutes
Challengers
Drama •Romance •Sport •Comedy
Overview
Tennis player turned coach Tashi has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him into a world-famous Grand Slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she signs him up for a “Challenger” event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
Director
Luca Guadagnino
Cast
Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, Darnell Appling, Bryan Doo
Duration
132 minutes
She’s the Man
Romance •Comedy •Sport
Overview
Viola Hastings is in a real jam. Complications threaten her scheme to pose as her twin brother, Sebastian, and take his place at a new boarding school. She falls in love with her handsome roommate, Duke, who loves beautiful Olivia, who has fallen for Sebastian! As if that were not enough, Viola’s twin returns from London ahead of schedule but has no idea that his sister has already replaced him on campus.
Director
Andy Fickman
Cast
Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, David Cross
Duration
105 minutes
Ford v Ferrari
Drama •Action •Sport •Adventure
Overview
American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
Director
James Mangold
Cast
Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Josh Lucas
Duration
146 minutes
Friday Night Lights
Drama •Action •Sport •Adventure
Overview
A small, turbulent town in Texas obsesses over their high school football team to an unhealthy degree. When the star tailback, Boobie Miles, is seriously injured during the first game of the season, all hope is lost, and the town’s dormant social problems begin to flare up. It is left to the inspiring abilities of new coach Gary Gaines to instill in the other team members — and, by proxy, the town itself — a sense of self-respect and honor.
Director
Peter Berg
Cast
Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez
Duration
118 minutes
Rollerball
Sci-fi •Action •Adventure •Sport
Overview
In a corporate-controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world, and one of its powerful athletes is out to defy those who want him out of the game.
Director
Norman Jewison
Cast
James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck, Moses Gunn
Duration
125 minutes
Rush
Drama •Sport •Action •Adventure
Overview
A biographical drama centered on the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula One motor-racing season.
Director
Ron Howard
Cast
Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino
Duration
123 minutes
Moneyball
Drama •Sport
Overview
The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
Director
Bennett Miller
Cast
Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Robin Wright
Duration
133 minutes
The Hill
Drama •Sport •History
Overview
The story of Rickey Hill, who overcomes his physical disability and repairs his relationship with his father in a quest to become a major league baseball (MLB) player.
Duration
121 minutes
Goon
Comedy •Drama •Sport
Overview
Doug Glatt, a slacker who discovers he has a talent for brawling, is approached by a minor league hockey coach and invited to join the team as the “muscle.” Despite the fact that Glatt can’t skate, his best friend, Pat, convinces him to give it a shot, and Glatt becomes a hero to the team and their fans, until the league’s reigning goon becomes threatened by Glatt’s success and decides to even the score.
Director
Michael Dowse
Cast
Seann William Scott, Marc-André Grondin, Alison Pill, Jay Baruchel, Liev Schreiber
Duration
92 minutes
Space Jam
Kids •Comedy •Animation •Family •Sci-fi •Sport •Fantasy
Overview
With their freedom on the line, the Looney Tunes seek the help of NBA superstar Michael Jordon to win a basketball game against a team of moronic aliens.
Director
Joe Pytka
Cast
Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle, Manner Washington, Eric Gordon
Duration
84 minutes
I, Tonya
Comedy •Drama •Sport
Overview
Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.
Director
Craig Gillespie
Cast
Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Paul Walter Hauser, Bobby Cannavale
Duration
115 minutes
Icarus
Documentary •Sport
Overview
While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, director Bryan Fogel connects with renegade Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country’s “anti-doping” program. Over dozens of Skype calls, urine samples, and badly administered hormone injections, Fogel and Rodchenkov grow closer despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia’s state-sponsored Olympic doping program.
Director
Bryan Fogel
Cast
Bryan Fogel, Dave Zabriskie, Don Catlin, Grigory Rodchenkov, Scott Brandt
Duration
121 minutes
The Club
Drama •Comedy •Sport
Overview
The club buys a talented young player, Geoff, for a record sum of money. The team members do not like their new star and friction develops immediately. Game after game is lost until Geoff begins to realize that there is more at stake than just his own career.
Director
Bruce Beresford
Cast
Jack Thompson, Graham Kennedy, Frank Wilson, John Howard, Harold Hopkins
Duration
95 minutes
Frequently asked questions
These films draw strength from real-life triumphs and struggles, connecting you deeply to the athletes’ journeys. Seeing real people overcome immense challenges, often against overwhelming odds, creates a powerful sense of hope and motivation, reminding you of the incredible resilience of the human spirit.
Underdog comedies perfectly blend humour with heart. They feature lovable misfits or overlooked teams who defy expectations through sheer determination and unexpected talent. You’re invited to root for them, share in their hilarious setbacks, and ultimately celebrate their surprising victories, making for an incredibly feel-good experience.
Classic sports dramas stand the test of time by focusing on universal themes beyond the game itself, like perseverance, sacrifice, and the pursuit of greatness. Their compelling characters, emotional depth, and often iconic moments continue to inspire and entertain, proving that true human spirit is timeless.
Sports movies expertly use cinematography, sound design, and clever editing to immerse you in the action. They often show the physical and emotional intensity of competition through close-ups, slow motion, and powerful scores. This makes you feel every hit, every goal, and every moment of triumph.
Yes, you’ll find a wide array of the best sports movies across various Australian streaming platforms. Many are licensed to services like Netflix, Stan, or Foxtel Now, ensuring you have excellent access to inspiring true stories, comedies, and dramas whenever you’re ready for a motivational watch.
Our list factors in several aspects, such as critic ratings and public sentiment, so it’s a strong indicator of a sports movie’s widespread critical and audience appreciation. Sure, your personal taste will always plays a part in what movies you prefer, but our list provides a great starting place to find your next favourite sports film.
Sports movies frequently teach about perseverance, teamwork, and the importance of hard work. They show that success often comes after many setbacks, highlighting resilience. You can learn about overcoming adversity, self-belief, and how collaboration can lead to incredible achievements, both on and off the screen.
The theme of overcoming adversity is central to sports itself, where athletes constantly face challenges. Movies mirror this by showcasing characters who push past physical limits, personal struggles, or societal barriers. This makes their triumphs more rewarding and deeply inspirational for you.
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