Netflix never runs out of ways to grab new fans and implement hits at the top of their charts, even during a supposedly slow period in the calendar. Their latest hit is Running Point. This sports comedy is loosely based on the life of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and her journey to the top of the decision-making hierarchy for her father’s basketball team. Running Point stars Kate Hudson as a fictional version of Buss who takes over the best franchise in basketball and maneuvers through the personal and professional hurdles that come with being a fish out of water in the sports world. Other actors in the series include Chet Hanks and Brenda Song (shoutout to Disney Channel).
This Netflix comedy combines the charm of sports with the drama of family conflict to make it an engaging but not wholly unique take on several different genres. For those who have already finished Running Point and want to binge something similar, we have shows from all over the streaming world. These are the shows like Running Point to stream next.
Clipped (2024)
Clipped is the fictional retelling of the NBA’s biggest 2010s scandal. Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was a lifelong racist and one of the league’s biggest hacks. After his girlfriend decides she can use his bigotry against him, the world finally finds out how hateful Sterling is, and his players must battle for their pride on the basketball court while turmoil overflows in the national media spotlight. If you love a good dose of tabloid storytelling and are a fan of Ed O’Neill or Laurance Fishburne, you’ll enjoy Clipped.
Ted Lasso (2020)
Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, the SpongeBob-like, overtly optimistic American head coach of a European soccer team who infuses his group of overachievers with his positivity whether they like it or not. Ted Lasso is perhaps Apple TV+’s most famous series, it won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, and it’s potentially returning for a fourth season after initially being concluded in 2023.
Ballers (2015)
Dwayne Johnson is mostly known for his big screen movie success, but it’s the TV show Ballers that may feature his most earnest performance. Based on his brief football career before he went to WWE, Johnson plays a fictional version of himself as he leads a football team with mismatched personalities and various goals that don’t always align with the team’s spirit. Sports fans and HBO subscribers watched this enough for it to be renewed for a total of five seasons in the back half of the 2010s.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)
The Los Angeles Lakers dynasty of the 1980s featuring Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Pat Riley is one of the most romanticized basketball teams of all time, but we can’t fault the media for retelling their stories ad naseum. Winning Time is a carefully crafted, wonderfully acted historical drama about the personal lives of the Lakers players who helped change the NBA during that time period. It was cancelled after only two seasons with more story to tell. Adrien Brody is the most famous actor in the cast.
Succession (2018)
Succession has nothing to do with sports, but fans of Running Point will love its portrayal of nepotistic and egotistical bombast from the cast of characters. The Roy children try everything to gain their father’s trust as he starts to fade out of his company’s CEO seat, but none of the kids are all that qualified for such a responsibility. Succession is a three-time winner for Outstanding Drama Series and one of the best shows in the history of HBO.
Brockmire (2017)
Hank Azaria carries Brockmire with his signature sense of humor and a solid script. The show follows the journey of a disgraced baseball announcer who tries to turn his life around in the aftermath of his wife cheating on him. Amanda Peet and Reina Hardesty help out with genuine supporting performances.
Blue Mountain State (2010)
Blue Mountain State is a lot more chaotic than the critically acclaimed high school football series Friday Night Lights, but that also makes it more similar to Running Point than the latter. Reacher’s Alan Ritchson is one of the stars of this hilarious comedy that satirizes the raunchy aspects of football culture. Ritchson says the show may be revived soon, so it’s a great time to check out its origins.
Mr. Throwback (2024)
Fans of the Golden State Warriors will love this comedy about a man who reconnects with childhood basketball teammate, Stephen Curry, in a quest to get out of yet another quandry set up by his poor decision making. Curry is a surprisingly good actor compared to other athletes in this Peacock original series.
Sports Night (1998)
What would a list of sports shows be without Sports Night? The cult series from the late 1990s features Peter Krause, Josh Charles, and others as news anchors who spend their time off the TV screen getting into plenty of problems. Few workplace shows feature newsrooms, so this is a great example of a niche setting in a sports TV series, most of which occur on the field or the court.
