Netflix Cancels “Starting 5” After Two Seasons: What the Move Says About the Future of Sports Documentaries

Netflix Cancels “Starting 5” After Two Seasons: What the Move Says About the Future of Sports Documentaries- Netflix is pulling the plug on Starting 5, its behind-the-scenes NBA documentary series, after just two seasons. The decision, first reported by Sports Business Journal, arrives only a short time after the series’ debut in 2024. Despite a star-filled roster and access that many sports fans crave, the streamer has chosen not to move forward with a third season.

For those who didn’t catch it, Starting 5 carved out a distinctive spot in the crowded sports-doc landscape. The series followed the season-long arcs of five NBA players, providing a mixture of on-court storytelling, personal narrative, and the off-season and off-day details that traditional broadcasts rarely spotlight. Its first season brought together an enviable lineup: LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and Domantas Sabonis—five players who represent different eras, markets, and styles within the league. The show’s structure intentionally mirrored the rhythm of an NBA calendar, giving viewers an episodic glimpse into elite athletes’ lives as they navigated their team’s fortunes, personal pressures, and the grind of an 82-game season.

So why would Netflix walk away from a project anchored by some of basketball’s biggest names? While no official reason has been announced, the cancellation fits within broader trends shaping the streaming landscape. Sports documentaries surged in popularity throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, powered by hits like The Last Dance, Drive to Survive, and a wave of athlete-led production studios hungry to tell their own stories. But the field has become increasingly crowded, and not every series—no matter how star-studded—can break through.

Part of the challenge stems from simple economics: high-access, multi-player sports series are expensive. They require long-term production crews, travel, rights coordination, and often a degree of athlete and league involvement that adds layers of complexity. With nearly every major streaming platform now trying to manage costs and evaluate how well specific genres drive subscriber retention, sports projects without clear breakout momentum are often the first to be trimmed.

There’s also the storytelling hurdle. A multi-athlete format, although ambitious, sometimes struggles to create the narrative focus that modern audiences reward. Viewers gravitate toward deeply personal arcs with a single individual or team, and as the number of competing docuseries grows, attention becomes more difficult to command. Starting 5 offered access and authenticity, but it was competing in a marketplace where sports fans are inundated with high-quality documentaries across basketball, football, soccer, Formula 1, and beyond.

Still, the cancellation doesn’t diminish what Starting 5 achieved during its run. By weaving together the journeys of five players with different market sizes, playing styles, and career stages, the series showcased the diversity of experience within the NBA. LeBron’s veteran leadership contrasted with Anthony Edwards’ rising-star swagger. Jimmy Butler’s intensity provided a compelling counterweight to Tatum’s steady ascent. Sabonis brought the perspective of a franchise cornerstone operating outside the league’s biggest media markets. Together, their stories offered a panoramic view of what it means to compete at the highest level.

As Netflix steps back from the series, the larger sports-doc ecosystem will continue to evolve. Platforms are becoming more selective, athletes more creatively involved, and leagues more strategic about how they share access. While Starting 5 won’t return, its brief existence underscores the appetite for personal, season-long storytelling in sports—and the constant recalibration streaming platforms must undertake as they decide what survives and what gets cut.

For NBA fans, it’s a short-lived series worth remembering. For the streaming world, it’s another signal that even premium access and superstar power don’t guarantee long-term renewal in an increasingly competitive—and cost-conscious—era.