ESPN’s 30 For 30 has something for every kind of sports fan, and here’s how to watch the popular series online – including whether it’s available to stream via Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. 30 For 30 is a series of ESPN documentaries that explore seminal moments in sporting history and personalities who have made a massive impact in their professions. The series began back in 2009 and was conceived as a way of celebrating ESPN’s 30th year on the air with a succession of 30, one-hour films made by 30 different filmmakers – hence the 30 For 30 title.
30 For 30 is still going strong more than a decade later and has covered everything from triumphs and tragedies to sporting scandals and major league rivalries. To date, 30 For 30 boasts over 100 sports documentaries and its most critically acclaimed installments have even received Emmys, Peabody Awards and Oscars. Some of the top-rated ESPN documentaries to emerge from the 30 For 30 series include The Two Escobars, which explores the intersection between Colombian soccer and crime in the early 1990s, and Nature Boy, which chronicles the colorful life of the wrestling legend Ric Flair.
Unfortunately, 30 For 30 isn’t available to stream on either Netflix or Amazon Prime. However, Hulu has over 100 episodes of 30 For 30 available with its Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ bundle which costs from $13.99 per month. Among the 30 For 30 episodes available via Hulu is Jordan Rides The Bus, a 2010 documentary about Michael Jordan quitting basketball to become a baseball player, and Be Water – an episode from 30 For 30’s most recent fourth season that examines the life and legacy of martial arts icon Bruce Lee. Hulu also offers several episodes from the soccer-focused edition 30 For 30: Soccer Stories including Hillsborough and Barbosa: The Man Who Made Brazil Cry.
Another place to find 30 For 30 streaming online is via ESPN’s very own streaming service ESPN+ which launched in 2018 and currently costs from $5.99 per month. Not only does ESPN+ give its subscribers access to the full 30 For 30 library for steaming, it also offers sports fans tons of other top-tier ESPN content – including live coverage of Ultimate Fighting Championship events and the PGA Tour plus tons of out-of-market Major League Soccer matches.
In 2017 the 30 For 30 franchise expanded even further with a series of podcasts, offering sports fans even more content. So far, the 30 For 30 podcast series has examined topics including the Bikram yoga scandal, Donald Sterling’s lifetime ban from the NBA and many, many other fascinating stories.