Action! Ranking the best sports films since 2000

Action! Ranking the best sports films since 2000

Illustration by ESPNSome sports movies win Oscars, some become cult classics, and some simply turn into a comfort movie to watch at any time. According to a Seton Hall sports poll, one title stands out as the defining sports movie of this century. Ladik, professor of marketing at Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business and research methodologist. “Here we see two films of America’s most popular sport, along with the challenges the players and coaches faced due to the racial struggles of their places and times. And who can forget that these films also feature compassionate performances, including an Oscar winner.” Side30%36%20%35%37%23%36%20%29%22%Remember the Titans26%34%14%35%33%26%25%18%31%27%Talladega Nights22%27%14%29%26%25%19%15%27%18%Happy Gilmore 221% 26% 15% 29% 25% 23% 20% 21% 22% 21% Dodgeball 21% 25% 16% 28% 23% 27% 16% 21% 28% 20% Million dollars Baby20%24%14%22%25%18%21%13%22%23%Credo20%27%9%33%25%24%16%21%25%15%Friday night Lights18%26%7%30%24%19%17%13%22%19%Moneyball17%23%7%30%20%22%11%14%18%17%Secretariat15%19%8%16%20%14%15%7%10%11%Love and Basketball13%17%7%24%14%11%15%11%21%12%Bend like Beckham12%16%7%17%16%11%14%13%14%10%Ali12%16%6%22%13%15%9%7%16%10%O Fighter11%14%6%19%12%15%7%7%14%11%Miracle10%15%2%16%14%11%9%8%10%10%I, Tonya10%13%6%16%11%9%11%12%11%7%F1: O Movie9%15%2%24%10%11%7%17%11%3%The Fighter8%11%3%14%10%10%6%9%9%6%The Iron Claw8%11%3%14%9%9%6%10%9%8%427%11%1%13%10%9%5%6%8%5%King Richard7%9%3%10%9%7%6%5%7%4%Invictus6%9%3%12%7%8%5%7%7%6%Rest6%8%2%11%7%6%6%7%8%5%Challengers6%8%2%11%7%5%6%14% 4%2%Sugar3%5%0%6%5%3%3%4%4%2%Senna2%4%1%5%3%3%2%4%2%2%Murderball2%4%1%7%2%4%1%4%4%1%Offside2%3%0%4%2%3%1%3%2%2%The Damned United2%4%0%5%3%3%1%4%2%1%Others4%5%2%5%4%4%3%4%5%4%N/A21%8%41%6%8%19%23%25%16%22%The survey, conducted Oct. 3-6, surveyed 1,519 U.S. adults and asked them to choose their favorite sports movie released in approximately the last quarter of century. The columns reflect the percentage of respondents who chose each film. Since respondents were able to select more than one, the percentages will add up to more than 100%. “The Blind Side” led the overall population with 30%, followed by “Remember the Titans” with 26%. “Talladega Nights” (22%), “Happy Gilmore 2” (21%) and “Dodgeball” (21%) rounded out the top tier, alongside “Million Dollar Baby,” “Creed” and “Friday Night Lights.” Ralph Nelson/Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett CollectionFootball runs the show “The Blind Side” and “Remember the Titans” came in first and second, respectively, and combined for more than half of all responses (30% and 26%). “Friday Night Lights” (18%) also made the top 10, and football-related stories peppered the bottom of the list. The pattern is even stronger among people who identify as sports fans. In that group, “The Blind Side” jumped to 36% and “Remember the Titans” to 34%. And “Friday Night Lights” (26%) received extra love from avid fans in particular. The emotional pillars at the top reflect how the NFL and college football dominate the real-life sports calendar. For many Americans, “sports movie” immediately brought to mind helmets, pads and big speeches on the football field. Will Ferrell in “Talladega Nights” is a popular choice among sports comedies. Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionFans and non-fans aren’t as far apart as you might think One of the most surprising divisions in the survey was how small the difference was between sports fans and non-fans. Among non-fans, “The Blind Side” still led with 20%, followed by “Dodgeball” (16%), “Happy Gilmore 2” (15%), “Remember the Titans” (14%) and “Talladega Nights” (14%). These numbers were lower than the total number of fans, but the titles are almost identical. Even people who don’t follow sports closely seek out the same mix of feel-good football and feel-good comedies. Among general sports fans, these same films sit comfortably in the upper tier, just with bigger slices of the pie. Avid fans topped “Creed” (33%), “Friday Night Lights” (30%) and “F1: The Movie” (24%), while “The Fighter” (14%), “The Iron Claw” (14%) and “42” (13%) also gained traction. Oscar-winning films on list of most popular sports films since 2000. Warner Brothers / Courtesy of Everett Collection Comfort Watches Outperform Prestige Pictures If the Oscars handed out statues based on this poll, Oscar night would look very different. “Million Dollar Baby” (20%) and “I, Tonya” (10%) appeared, as did “The Fighter” (8%), “King Richard” (7%) and “Invictus” (6%). But they lagged far behind the films that people say they turn to for comfort in entertainment. The movies that people say they watch repeatedly are the ones that are easy to quote and follow and are emotionally direct. When looking at streaming options on a given day, if Michael Oher’s story breaks, a locker room dance breaks out at TC Williams High School, or Will Ferrell is doing something remotely athletic, viewers will stick around. “Love & Basketball” and “Remember the Titans” were fondly remembered by those ages 35 to 54. From left: Scott Yamano/Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection; New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection; Getty ImagesThe generational divideThe age groups didn’t differ starkly, but there were subtle distinctions in what resonated. Editor’s Picks2 Related18-34: Younger adults have given solid attention to newer comedies and titles. The projects “Happy Gilmore 2”, “Dodgeball” and “F1: The Movie” performed well, and “Challengers” had its best appearance in this group. “Creed” also performed strongly. 35-54: This group is the sweet spot for many of these films. “Remember the Titans” hit 31% here, and “Love & Basketball” jumped to 21%. Most members of this category are old enough to remember these films as theatrical experiences and young enough to watch them again on streaming or cable. 55+: Older respondents leaned toward classic-feeling dramas. “Remember the Titans” and “Million Dollar Baby” have remained resilient, while more recent comedies and films haven’t broken out as much. The generations didn’t completely disagree – “The Blind Side” and “Remember the Titans” were consistent across the board. But the second tier changed based on when respondents first watched these films. Twenty-one percent say: ‘None of the above’ The loudest statistic may be the one that seems throwaway: 21% of respondents in the general population selected “N/A.” Among non-fans, that number jumped to 41% and increased to 36% among sports fans. In other words, about one in five people didn’t have a favorite sports movie from the last 25 years – or at least didn’t feel strong enough to choose one from the list. That doesn’t mean they don’t watch sports or movies. This could mean that your sports narrative comes from series or documentaries that were not part of this poll. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for sports film creators, with data indicating a huge undecided and untapped audience. For those in the “N/A” crowd looking for an entry, the poll can act as a programming guide. “Friday Night Lights” is one of the many popular football films of the last 25 years. Universal / Courtesy of the Everett CollectionReading between the lines: Movie ratings look a lot like real life. The data shows a hierarchy that reflects the sporting scenario. Football titles are at the top, reinforced by a mix of feeling and spectacle. Right behind them are the comedies that have become background noise for late-night streaming and group rewatches. Prestigious inscriptions fill the gaps – respected, but not always revisited. Sports fans and non-sports fans are closer together than expected, gravitating toward many of the same movies, while the starkest difference is in the percentage of people who ignore the issue entirely. This “none of the above” block suggests changes in habits and different ways of consuming sports stories. The list doesn’t just rank the films: it maps the overlap of emotion, grind and sports culture, and highlights which stories still hold weight or have taken a backseat, and how much room is left for the next groundbreaking sports film. But don’t let the survey results speak for you. Rank the top 25 movies for yourself by dragging the titles into your preferred order below and see how your list compares to everyone else’s. Editor’s note: The list of films used in this poll was created through a multi-step selection process. The Seton Hall Sports Survey began with The Athletic’s 2020 ranking of the top 100 sports films, then narrowed the group to films released since 2000 and capped the list at 30 titles. Additional candidates were chosen from seven “best sports movies” lists from The Hollywood Reporter, Rotten Tomatoes, IndieWire, Vulture, Forbes, Time Out and Time magazine, with input from ESPN. To be included, a film had to appear on at least three of the eight lists analyzed, with some final titles removed based on internal editorial review. The Seton Hall Sports Poll was conducted Oct. 3-6 among 1,519 adults. The survey, which was sponsored by the Sharkey Institute at Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business, drew on a nationally representative sample from YouGov Plc., was weighted according to US Census Bureau figures for age, gender, ethnicity, education, income and geography and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points.

Published: 2025-11-26 20:26:00

source: www.espn.com