The BEST ESPN shows of all time

Every ESPN show, ranked

We've compiled the average episode rating for every ESPN show to compile this list of best shows!

star
8.69
517 votes

#1 - O.J.: Made in America

The rise and fall of American football star, O.J. Simpson, from his days growing up in Los Angeles to his murder trial that polarized the country.

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8.56
4957 votes

#2 - The Last Dance

Charting the rise of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.

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8.50
24 votes

#3 - Peyton's Places

Through conversations with former players, coaches and key figures, Peyton Manning gets to the heart of football history and its cultural impact.

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8.49
671 votes

#4 - 30 for 30

Inspired by ESPN's anniversary, ESPN Films is launching 30 FOR 30, an unprecedented documentary series featuring 30 of today's finest storytellers telling thirty remarkable stories from the ESPN era. On their own, each of the films will be an intimate look at a specific story, relevant to larger themes from the modern era. Collectively, these films will be a diverse mosaic of what sports has meant to American and World culture in the last thirty years. Each storyteller will bring their passion and personal point of view to their film detailing the issues, trends, athletes, teams, rivalries, games and events that transformed the sports landscape from 1979 to 2009.

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star
7.82
92 votes

#5 - Playmakers

Highly stylized to generate a level of dramatic energy seldom seen on television, this lightning-paced series about a professional football team looks with unblinking candor beyond Sunday's glory, "good guy" endorsements, and super-jock celebrity. What is left is a world invested more with dark than light, where stars don't shine so much as they fall. Scripted with unsentimental compassion, the series weaves multiple storylines into an intricately patterned saga that changes minute to minute as the playmakers on the field struggle to negotiate the red zone between fame and real life, off the field.

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star
7.76
1011 votes

#6 - The Ultimate Fighter

Sixteen aspiring mixed martial artists live together, train together and compete against each other to become the Ultimate Fighter. They receive coaching from UFC champions and contenders in a variety of martial arts including wrestling, boxing, judo, Jiu-Jitsu, karate and kickboxing. The winner receives a six-figure contract from the UFC.

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star
7.66
32 votes

#7 - The Captain

A compelling narrative revealing the man behind the icon - Derek Jeter. Amidst a time of great change in New York City, Derek Jeter’s arrival to the New York Yankees returned a struggling franchise to its traditional perch amongst baseball’s elite. As Derek forged a Hall of Fame worthy career, his second home molded him as a man.

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7.54
85 votes

#8 - Man in the Arena: Tom Brady

A 10-episode series focusing on Brady's first-hand account of the most iconic moments of his NFL career, including each of his 9 Super Bowl appearances with the New England Patriots, along with the smaller, seemingly insignificant instances that became pivotal events and paved the path for Brady's journey.

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star
6.80
80 votes

#9 - Tilt

In the month before the World Poker Championships, three professional gamblers have teamed up to take down the reigning king of the table -- Don "The Matador" Everest. Long held to be the most influential man in the game of poker, The Matador's alliances run deep-down to the most corrupt elements of the Las Vegas underworld. As the team of three -- Eddie, Miami and Clark -- struggles to gain the upper hand, they'll be met with more than they bargained for. The hidden agendas and constant misdirection that are staples of the card table will emerge to conquer their lives beyond the walls of The Colorado Casino.

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star
5.17
52 votes

#10 - The Bronx is Burning

A mini-series about the Yankees' 1977 World Series attempt, based on the book "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning" by Jonathan Mahler.

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