Star Power Couldn’t Save Netflix’s “Starting 5” Basketball Series
In a surprising turn of events, Netflix has officially cancelled “Starting 5,” despite its impressive backing from former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and NBA superstar LeBron James. The documentary series, which chronicled the season-long journeys of five NBA stars, failed to capture sufficient viewer interest to warrant continuation beyond its second season. This cancellation highlights an important reality in today’s streaming landscape: even the most powerful names in politics and sports cannot guarantee a show’s success if it doesn’t connect with audiences in meaningful ways.
The series debuted in 2024 with a promising concept, following the personal and professional lives of NBA all-stars including LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Season 2 continued with the same format but shifted its focus to other basketball luminaries such as Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Each episode offered viewers an intimate look into the challenges, triumphs, and daily realities of professional basketball players at the pinnacle of their careers. The documentary style aimed to humanize these athletes beyond their court personas, showing their family lives, training regimens, and the mental pressures they face throughout a grueling NBA season.
Despite the compelling subject matter and high-profile backing, viewership numbers tell a sobering story about the series’ performance. According to reports from What’s on Netflix, the first season managed to draw approximately 4.6 million views from July to December 2024, which might seem substantial until compared with Netflix’s other sports documentaries. Even more concerning was the dramatic drop to just 1 million views for the first half of 2025, signaling a steep decline in audience interest. This viewership trajectory likely sealed the show’s fate, as streaming platforms must continually evaluate the return on investment for their original content. While Netflix typically doesn’t confirm viewing figures for underperforming shows, the dramatic viewership decline appeared to leave little room for debate about the series’ future.
The cancellation becomes even more striking when comparing “Starting 5” to other sports documentaries in Netflix’s catalog. The NFL documentary series “Quarterback” reportedly attracted an impressive 12.7 million views in its opening period, while the Formula 1 series “F1: Drive to Survive” garnered 10.4 million views in a comparable timeframe. These numbers illustrate a significant gap in audience engagement and suggest that certain sports or storytelling approaches may resonate more strongly with Netflix viewers. Sports Business Journal confirmed that internal numbers for “Starting 5” were “well behind” those of “Quarterback,” with this trend continuing into the second seasons of both series. This performance differential ultimately led to Netflix’s decision to discontinue “Starting 5” while continuing to invest in other sports documentary content that has proven more successful.
The cancellation of “Starting 5” raises interesting questions about content development in the streaming era. What factors contribute to one sports documentary’s success while another falters? Perhaps the format didn’t offer enough drama or narrative tension to keep viewers returning episode after episode. Maybe basketball documentaries need a different approach compared to NFL or Formula 1 content. Or perhaps the series simply arrived at a moment when viewer appetite for certain types of sports content was already satisfied by other offerings. Whatever the specific reasons, the situation reminds us that in today’s competitive streaming environment, even productions with extraordinary backing must still deliver compelling content that resonates with audiences consistently across seasons.
For fans of basketball and sports documentaries, both seasons of “Starting 5” remain available on Netflix, offering a valuable time capsule of these NBA stars during a specific period in their careers. While the series won’t continue with a third season, its existence provides an intimate look at the lives of some of basketball’s greatest talents. The cancellation, while disappointing for those involved in its production, serves as a reminder of the challenging realities of creating sustainable content in today’s streaming landscape. Even with presidential producers and athletic superstars attached, the ultimate arbiter of a show’s success remains the viewing audience—a fundamental truth that transcends star power, political influence, and even sporting greatness.
