Netflix is getting ready to play ball with the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball.
The streaming giant is partnering with MLB on a pair of projects about the Red Sox, one being its latest sports docuseries, and another being a documentary about the 2004 World Series championship team.
The docuseries will follow in the footsteps of Netflix’s other sports series, like Formula 1’s Drive to Survive, the NFL’s Quarterbacks, and the PGA Tour’s Full Swing, with camera crews following the Red Sox during the 2024 season.
The docuseries will debut in 2025.
The two-part documentary is from Meadowlark Media will highlight the season that ended the Red Sox’s 86-year championship drought, with exclusive interviews with players and others involved. The still-untitled doc will debut later this year.
MLB Studios, the league’s in-house production arm, is also involved in both projects. The league has sought to grow its media business outside of live games via the division, which produces non-fiction content and scripted fare like Moneyball and 42.
The docuseries will mean that Netflix has content from most major sports leagues, between existing shows from the NFL, F1, NASCAR and the PGA Tour, as well as upcoming project following NBA stars.
As The Hollywood Reporter noted last year, leagues and athletes are eager to work with the streaming giant to introduce the sports and the personalities of players to fans who may not otherwise be watching. Both F1 and the PGA credit Netflix with growing their fanbase, and while the NFL, NBA and MLB may be big already, there is always room to add more fans in the fold.
“Our fans love that our sports series focus on the drama of sport and nothing was more dramatic than the 2004 Red Sox season, especially having witnessed their comeback from the bleachers during Game 7 against the Yankees,” said Gabe Spitzer, VP of nonfiction sports at Netflix. “We’re thrilled to partner with this iconic franchise to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the greatest sports comeback ever, while also looking forward to the team’s future with inside access to their 2024 campaign.”
“Baseball is driven by the incredible stories of our athletes,” added Noah Garden, deputy commissioner for business & media at Major League Baseball. “Teaming up with Netflix for these two exciting projects is a tremendous opportunity to not only bring our avid fans closer to the game they love, but also introduce new audiences to the undeniable emotion that baseball evokes.”