The Olympics effect: sports documentaries reached a new peak

New research from Ampere Analysis showed that the number of sports documentaries released by leading commissioners reached a new peak in the run-up to the Paris Olympic Games. 103 new (first-run) sports documentaries and docuseries were released between May and July 2024. In the current commissioning context, the number released in July represents 25% of all new documentaries released globally during the month, a record share to date.

The number of new (first-run) sports documentaries released globally by leading commissioners reached a peak in the lead-up to the Paris Olympic Games. A total of 103 new sports documentaries and docuseries were released during the three months ending in July 2024. This is a comparable level to what was seen before the 2022 Football World Cup, when 109 documentaries were released in the three months leading up to November 2022. However, the current volume of releases occurs in a context of lower overall commissioning. In July 2024, sports documentaries represented 25% of all new documentaries released globally, marking a record share to date.

This milestone sets a new high watermark for sports documentary content, which has increased its share of first-run documentary releases from 6% in 2020 to 9% in 2022, and to 12% in 2024. While the trend has primarily been driven by Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) services, it is increasingly being adopted by public broadcasters as well. European public broadcasters, particularly France Televisions and the BBC, released the highest volume of new sports documentaries between May and July 2024. In contrast, global streaming platforms, which have dominated the sports documentary genre in recent years, took a less active role over the same period.

In addition to these documentaries, several other sports-related entertainment and reality programs were launched during this period. This surge in sports-related content pushed sports to a record 17% share of all new unscripted commissions released in July 2024. The thematic focus of much of this content also pointed to the increasing involvement of public broadcasters. Many of these documentaries aligned with their remit, focusing on the history of the Olympics, portraits of local athletes, and analyses of national stakes in the Games.

On the other hand, global streaming platforms featured the Olympics less prominently in their new sports documentary releases. Instead, they continued to prioritize topics that appeal to a broad international subscriber base, such as popular sports like football and access to high-profile sports personalities. Examples include Amazon Prime Video’s focus on tennis player Roger Federer and Disney+ highlighting Formula 1 driver Checo Perez.

Cyrine Amor, Senior Analyst at Ampere Analysis, said: “Content producers had prepared in earnest for the spike in interest in sport of all kinds that the Olympics produces. This year there’s been a huge increase in the number of sports documentaries, docuseries, reality, and entertainment programming. Unusually, public broadcasters created more of this material than the global streamers. Sports fans have enjoyed a true summer of sport and documentary creators have turned July 24 into a record month for global releases.”