What Sports Should Adapt “Drive To Survive” Next?
Netflix’s Formula 1 series “Drive to Survive” has been praised for its detailed depiction of the hardships the best drivers in Formula 1 go through in their quest for victory. In fact, the reaction has been so positive that Box to Box Films, the production company behind it, has reached a deal to produce two other shows.
This time, the story will follow tennis trainers and players across different tournaments, as well as amateur and professional golf players trying to win a championship. Considering the unique style of this documentary series, sports fans are asking themselves: which sport deserves to be the next to receive the “Drive to Survive” treatment?
Rugby
When it comes to intense fans and players, there are few sports that can compete with rugby, at least in countries like New Zealand and Australia. On top of that, the extreme physical demands of the sport, and the high rates of injuries make it easy to build emotionally engaging narratives around it. A new show would also benefit from the increasing popularity of the sport in the United States.
NASCAR
It’s true that if something is not broken, you shouldn’t fix it. But following a completely different racing car franchise could give fans of the original series a fresh new take on the “Drive to Survive” style.
It might be true that NASCAR lacks the worldwide appeal of Formula 1, but it more than compensates for it with the passion of their followers for this American-born style of racing, and the intrinsic drama of their high-risk competitions. A perfect sequel for the original show.
Cricket
As we mentioned, the true strength of this show relies not necessarily on its universal appeal, but on the loyalty of its fans and athletes. If this is true, then few sports would be a better match than cricket.
The grandfather of baseball, cricket is followed passionately in some of the most populated countries in the world. On top of that, its cultural diversity would offer viewers an intriguing take on the different ways in which the passion for sports can manifest around the world.
Poker
In the last couple of decades, the increase in poker’s popularity has led to an explosion in player numbers. People from all around the world now interact and play online, and many develop enough skills to participate in international tournaments, and this is exactly what would make a series like this so interesting.
Audiences could follow a culturally diverse group of players from countries like Ghana or Japan, and see them challenge some of poker’s greatest players for a chance to make their dreams come true. A true rags to riches story that could easily translate into a streaming service show.
Esports
Although traditionally seen as a hobby, the increased availability of high-speed internet connections around the world has made esports explode in popularity. Millions of people follow their favorite teams through live streams, and new players are frequently offered lucrative deals to become a part of next season’s roster.
The novelty of this sport would make it attractive for both fans of documentaries and video games. But the cinematic nature of video games is probably the biggest asset of this sport, making it an ideal candidate for a documentary series.
The engaging narrative style of “Drive to Survive”, which features easily digestible and emotionally involving stories, could be adapted to almost any activity. It’s among the relatively unusual but strongly followed sports, however, where the Netflix show has more potential for growth. Especially when we take into account emerging scenes like esports or games that almost anyone can learn how to play, like poker.
