Best Sports Dramas of All Time - Based on 130 Published Rankings

Scene from Million Dollar Baby (2004), ranked 10th best sports drama.

Welcome to our Reel Fives pre-launch movie rankings of the best sport dramas of all time. The rankings for sports drama films are based on our pre-launch rankings for its parent genre, best sports movies of all time, which captures sports movies more broadly. The movie rankings on top sport dramas are based on the 130 movie ranking sources we found for sports movies. The list of top sports movies is comprised of 105 movies and of those 68 movies were sport dramas - these 68 sport dramas are ranked below.  As with the broader sports genre, sport drama film rankings are based on rankings created by movie experts as well as rankings from polling sites that were found online.

The sports dramas sub-genre combines competition and a great plot to create a great film. This sub-genre is one our biggest sport sub-genres because so many sport films include elements of drama. It is no surprise that Rocky (1976) is the all-time best sports drama or that Raging Bull (1980) is ranked second. The top five rankings are the same as the best sports movies of all-time list. Out of the top 10, boxing and baseball tie as the most dramatic sport, each taking three of ten spots (Million Dollar Baby (2004) ranks tenth, Field of Dreams (1989) ranks fourth, Bull Durham (1988) ranks fifth, and The Natural (1984) ranks seventh). This is expected as these movies have ranked high on the best sports movies of all-time , best boxing movies of all time, and best baseball movies of all time sub-genre rankings. From not knowing if Rocky will win the fight or if the Chicago White Sox will play in an Iowan field, sports dramas captivate the audience to keep watching. They also delve into the pain of wanting to make it, be it a championship or to college. Hoop Dreams (1994), ranked sixth, follows teen boys who want to play in the NBA and all the obstacles that stand between them and their dreams. The journey gives sport dramas great plots. Friday Night Lights (2004) tells the story of a high school football team in Texas and their journey to make it to the state championship. Great sport dramas capture the journey of a player or a team, win or lose.  

Top 68 Sports Dramas of All Time
Percent of online top fives movies appear in shown
1 . Rocky (1976): 58.9%
2 . Raging Bull (1980): 48.0%
3 . Hoosiers (1986): 40.3%
4 . Field of Dreams (1989): 28.6%
5 . Bull Durham (1988): 22.4%
6 . Hoop Dreams (1994): 15.5%
7 . The Natural (1984): 13.1%
8 . Slap Shot (1977): 11.6%
9 . Miracle  (2004): 10.8%
10 . Million Dollar Baby (2004): 10.8%
11 . The Hustler (1961): 9.30%
12 . The Wrestler (2008): 8.52%
13 . Chariots of Fire (1981): 7.75%
14 . Moneyball (2011): 6.20%
15 . The Blind Side (2009): 6.20%
16 . Rudy (1993): 6.20%
17 . The Pride of the Yankees (1942): 5.42%
18 . Any Given Sunday (1999): 3.87%
19 . Friday Night Lights (2004): 3.87%
20 . Eight Men Out (1988): 3.87%
21 . The Fighter (2010): 3.87%
22 . Brian's Song (1971): 3.10%
23 . This Sporting Life (1963): 2.32%
24 (tied). Invictus (2009): 2.32%
24 (tied). Breaking Away (1979): 2.32%
26 . Coach Carter (2005): 2.32%
27 . We are Marshall (2006): 2.32%
28 . Cinderella Man (2005): 1.55%
29 (tied). Tin Cup (1996): 1.55%
29 (tied). The Rookie (2002): 1.55%
29 (tied). For the Love of the Game (1999): 1.55%
32 (tied). Rocky 4 (1985): 1.55%
32 (tied). Greatest Game ever Played (2005): 1.55%
34 . He Got Game (1998): 1.55%
35 . Seabiscuit (2003): 1.55%
36 (tied). Whip It (2009): .775%
36 (tied). Ali (2001): .775%
36 (tied). Southpaw (2015): .775%
36 (tied). Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996): .775%
36 (tied). Cobb (1994): .775%
36 (tied). Creed (2015): .775%
42 (tied). Rocco and his Brothers (1960): .775%
42 (tied). Facing The Giants (2006): .775%
42 (tied). Invincible (2006): .775%
42 (tied). Gregory's Girl (1981): .775%
42 (tied). Rocky 2 (1979): .775%
42 (tied). Best of the Best (1989): .775%
42 (tied). North Dallas Forty (1976): .775%
42 (tied). Rush (2013): .775%
42 (tied). Little Giants (1994): .775%
51 (tied). Forrest Gump (1994): .775%
51 (tied). The Karate Kid (1984): .775%
51 (tied). Point Break (1991): .775%
51 (tied). The Big Blue (1988): .775%
51 (tied). Wild Hearts Can't be Broken (1991): .775%
51 (tied). Chakde! India (2007): .775%
51 (tied). The Longest Yard (1974): .775%
51 (tied). 42 (2013): .775%
59 (tied). MacFarland USA (2015): .775%
59 (tied). Days of Thunder (1990): .775%
59 (tied). Montevideo: Taste of Dream (2010): .775%
59 (tied). Warrior (2011): .775%
59 (tied). Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962): .775%
59 (tied). Mystery, Alaska (1999): .775%
65 (tied). 61* (2001): .775%
65 (tied). Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013): .775%
65 (tied). Rocky 3 (1982): .775%
68 . Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007): 0%

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