ESPN Films

A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.

A VHS featuring Lionel Messi starts a tug of war between Spain and Argentina over his loyalty.

On Oct. 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. PT, soon after Al Michaels and Tim McCarver started the ABC telecast for Game 3 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, the ground began to shake beneath Candlestick Park. Even before that moment, this had promised to be a memorable matchup: the first in 33 years between teams from the same metropolitan area, a battle featuring larger-than-life characters and equally colorful fan bases. But after the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake rolled through, bringing death and destruction, the Bay Area pulled together, and baseball took a backseat.

Director Steve James returns to his home town of Hampton, Virginia to tell the story of how the trial of a young basketball star left a city divided.

A biopic of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr., documenting the driver's career from his earliest days onward and also looking at the family he built along the way. Earnhardt's death in 2001 rocked the sport, but his seven championships and 76 wins made an impact on NASCAR forever.

Football is a religion to many people. But few know the depths of both faiths as well as Bill McCartney, the former head football coach of the University of Colorado and the founder of Promise Keepers, a Christian men’s ministry. “The Gospel According to Mac” tells the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story of Coach Mac’s controversial national championship run – two seasons that followed multiple arrests and strife between his mostly African-American players and the Boulder police, continued with McCartney’s own daughter becoming pregnant by the team’s quarterback before seeing that same quarterback struck by cancer, and culminated in consecutive Orange Bowl match-ups against Notre Dame. Bill McCartney’s passionate and often polarizing beliefs have made him many enemies and many admirers, but it’s difficult to deny that he embodies the essential issues facing football in America to this day.

Ruffian is an American made-for-television movie that tells the story of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame Champion thoroughbred filly Ruffian who went undefeated until her death after breaking down in a nationally televised match race at Belmont Park on July 6, 1975 against the Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure. Made by ESPN Original Entertainment, the film is directed by Yves Simoneau and stars Sam Shepard as Ruffian's trainer, Frank Whiteley. The producers used four different geldings in the role of Ruffian. Locations for the 2007 film included Louisiana Downs in Shreveport, Louisiana and Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

A look at the career, friendship and rivalry of legendary MMA fighters Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.

The Drive. The Fumble. The Shot. The Decision. José Mesa. And so it goes for Cleveland sports fans. BELIEVELAND attempts to explain the masochistic devotion many Browns, Indians, and Cavs fans have when it comes to cheering for teams that continue to break our hearts. Including interviews with ghosts of sports heroes past, current Cleveland personalities, and many of the very fanatics that keep taking their licks, BELIEVELAND is like group therapy where the patients are the ones asking “why, Why, WHY!” Only true Clevelanders can understand our love for our city, our loyalty to our teams, and the mentality that hungers for more even though it’s been 50 years since our last championship. And that’s because one day–one day–we’ll be able to say, “I told you so” to everyone who refuses to believe.

Fifty years ago in the Bronx, a new genre of music was born, the product of a people searching for their voice and the opportunity to be heard. For decades, the community was bound by the words of leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X before their assassinations attempted to thwart the messaging. While their lives ended, the impact of their words never would, instead paving the way for others. Soon, athletes and entertainers would step to the microphone and boldly become the sound of a new generation and an inspiration to their people. When the world looked to silence them, the culture found a way to speak louder than ever before. From Muhammad Ali to Public Enemy, Jay-Z to Lebron James and beyond, the impact on sports has been indelible.

Rugby Union has long been viewed in South Africa as a game for the white population, and the country’s success in the sport has been a true source of Afrikaner pride. When the 50-year-old policies and entrenched injustices of apartheid were finally overthrown in 1994, Nelson Mandela’s new government began rebuilding a nation badly in need of racial unity. So the world was watching when South Africa played host to the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Though they had only one non-white player, the South African Springboks gained supporters of all colors as they made an improbable run into the final match where they beat the heavily favored New Zealand team. When Mandela himself marched to the center of the pitch cloaked in a Springbok jersey and shook hands with the captain of the South African team, two nations became one. Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and director Cliff Bestall will tell the emotional story of that cornerstone moment and what it meant to South Africa’s healing process.

The Day Diego Returned to the Azteca, a new ESPN Films documentary revisiting Diego Armando Maradona’s only return to Estadio Azteca in 2000, 14 years after leading Argentina to its historic World Cup win. The film tells the extraordinary and little-known story of Diego Armando Maradona’s only return to Estadio Azteca after leading Argentina to the 1986 FIFA World Cup title. Maradona returned to the stadium in 2000 while traveling from Cuba to Mexico for Boca Juniors’ Copa Libertadores semifinal against Club América.  

Follows six extreme sports stars as they prepare for and then compete in the 2008 Summer X-Games in Los Angeles. Kyle Loza practices a new motocross trick, landing in a pit of foam. Can he do it in front of thousands and land safely on dirt? Travis Pastrana shifts from a bike to a rally car - in part because he's broken so many bones. Shaun White finishes his snowboard season and jumps immediately onto his skateboard. Retired motocross champion Ricky Cunningham takes up a new event. In the finale, after practicing together as friends and competitors, Bob Burnquist and Danny Way face off on the mega ramp

World champion tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King has had a game-changing impact on culture and sports. Rare archive and candid interviews with Billie Jean and those closest to her reveal how one woman put changing the world ahead of saving herself.

Details the intense rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche in the 90’s

In the fall of 1993, in his prime and at the summit of the sports world, Michael Jordan walked away from pro basketball. After leading the Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and taking the Bulls to their third consecutive NBA championship the following year, Jordan was jolted by the murder of his father. Was it the brutal loss of such an anchor in his life that caused the world’s most famous athlete to rekindle a childhood ambition by playing baseball? Or some feeling that he had nothing left to prove or conquer in basketball? Or something deeper and perhaps not yet understood?

The American Gladiators Documentary, a two-part 30 for 30 ESPN film directed by Ben Berman, takes an unconventional approach to the epic tale of the famed reality-competition show. From its humble beginnings in small-town Erie, PA to international stardom, the show's most charismatic figures finally tell their stories. But what begins as a traditional sports documentary soon gives way to bigger themes of greed, divergent narratives, and ultimately questions how history itself is written.

"Not So Fast, My Friend: A Lee Corso Special" pays tribute to Lee Corso, a beloved figure in college football. For over 75 years, Corso has been a prominent voice in the sport, known for his insightful commentary and entertaining persona. The show takes a deep dive into Corso's remarkable career, showcasing his journey from a young coach to a television icon. Fans will see memorable moments from his time on College GameDay, including his unique headgear picks and heartfelt stories from former colleagues, players, and coaches who have been influenced by Corso's passion for college football.

In 2006, former NBA star Stephon Marbury endorsed a revolutionary low-cost sneaker called the Starbury. $15 Kicks revisits the Starbury sneaker’s altruistic mission and media frenzy.