20 years after the Expos left Montreal, Netflix is revisiting the saga
As the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Expos’ exit from Major League Baseball nears this fall, Netflix has ordered a new documentary exploring the doomed franchise and the circumstances surrounding its relocation to Washington D.C. in 2004.
The film explores the setbacks that led to the departure of the Expos from Montreal and how the loss of an MLB team in Montreal continues to spark debate 20 years later.
Some of those setbacks included fee disputes between the city and Expos owner Jeffrey Loria over a new stadium, the firing of beloved, long-time manager Felipe Alou, and a historic switcheroo in which Loria bought the Miami Marlins, Marlins owner John Henry bought the Boston Red Sox, and the MLB purchased the Expos.
In 2004, Québec's beloved Expos left Montreal. A new documentary coming to Netflix will explore the setbacks that led to the baseball team's departure and how it continues to spark debate 20 years later. pic.twitter.com/yCNXYBki23
The Expos played their last Major League Baseball game in Montreal on September 29, 2004 — a 9-1 loss to the Florida Marlins immediately following MLB’s announcement that the team would relocate to Washington for the 2005 season.
Last month it was announced that the second season of “Full Swing,” the Netflix docuseries that goes behind the scenes of professional golf, will be released on March 6, 2024.
On Wednesday the streaming service dropped a 27-second teaser video that featured the titles of all eight episodes and a sneak peek at who would be featured in each. The players involved in Season 2 include the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Joel Dahmen, Keegan Bradley, Tom Kim, Luke Donald and Wyndham Clark, to name a few.
The season starts and ends with two-part episodes titled The Game Has Changed, which presumably will detail the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s struggle for professional golf supremacy and ends with All Roads Lead to Rome, which unfortunately for American fans will go in-depth on everything that happened at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
A lot of great streaming options across many platforms this month!
The calendar has (finally) turned to February, and we’re that much closer to spring. There’s just one month left to catch up on all the Oscar-nominated movies before the awards ceremony, and the highly-acclaimed Best Picture nominee Past Lives has popped onto Showtime.
You can still watch Oscar nominees like Barbie, Oppenheimer, The Holdovers and Maestro across various streaming services, and action flicks like Jurassic Park and Top Gun: Maverick are always a good choice.
Here are 40 of our picks of some of the best options across Apple TV+, Paramount+, Showtime, Max, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Peacock.
Season two will premier in a little more than a month.
The second season of “Full Swing,” the Netflix show to goes behind the scenes of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League, will be released on March 6, 2024.
During the inaugural episodes, cameras followed Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick at the U.S. Open and Rory McIlroy at the Tour Championship.
Judging by the release image posted by the PGA Tour’s Twitter/X account Wednesday, McIlroy, Thomas and Fitzpatrick will be back in the mix alongside Rickie Fowler, Joel Dahmen, Keegan Bradley, Tom Kim, Luke Donald and Wyndham Clark.
There will countless storylines to follow this season, including the drama-filled Ryder Cup in Rome.
For those who subscribe to the notion that people make the best stories, the five-episode Netflix series “NASCAR: Full Speed” is appointment viewing. It’s a simple and easy-to-follow premise: cameras capture nine Cup Series drivers over the final 11 …
For those who subscribe to the notion that people make the best stories, the five-episode Netflix series “NASCAR: Full Speed” is appointment viewing.
It’s a simple and easy-to-follow premise: cameras capture nine Cup Series drivers over the final 11 weeks of the 2023 season – all nine drives qualified for the playoffs and one, Ryan Blaney, captured the championship. Viewers are reminded of what took place on the racetrack during those final few months of the season with commentary from those involved while also being brought into what life was like away from the track.
The access is what makes the series work. Driving the car is cool, but for those who are hungry for more, who can’t get enough of the drivers, and who want to see what they do during the week, the family life, or the work just to get to race day, it’s all here. It’s the beauty of these styles of documentaries.
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These are real human beings under the helmets. And spoiler alert, those human beings curse and care deeply about the job. The same can be said about their family members.
Denny Hamlin’s mother, Mary Lou and father, Dennis, are featured in the series and discuss the sacrifices they made to help their son achieve his dream. Hamlin gets a lot of camera time because he understands the importance of providing all-in access. They are in his home, car, 23XI Racing team meetings and motorhome.
For those who enjoy Hamlin and his honesty, there is plenty in the series. But that honesty, or perceived arrogance, can also be a draw for those who want more reason to hate Hamlin.
“I grew up with no means; I worked my way here,” Hamlin explains in the first episode when talking about his family. “I have a big jet, a big house, nice (expletive). I (expletive) earned it and still, at age 42, I feel like I’m at the top of my game.”
Alex DeLeon, Tyler Reddick’s fiancé, tells the cameras during the Martinsville Speedway race that her significant other must stop being nice. Reddick was racing to advance in the playoffs at Martinsville, and DeLeon was a helpless viewer.
“I just wish I could shake him because I want to be like, ‘Just (expletive) drive through them,’” DeLeon says as she watches the race from the motorhome. “Just drive through them. Do what you need to do.”
Reddick and DeLeon bring quite a bit of humor to the series. Not only because they are relatable, but there is a rogue cat, Halloween costumes, a pee firesuit incident and, at one point, wondering where their son, Beau, was in the Talladega Superspeedway driver/owner lot playground.
Morgan Bell, Christopher Bell’s wife, will be seen in tears. The pair are in the motorhome at Phoenix Raceway as the championship fight goes on without the Joe Gibbs Racing driver after Christopher’s No. 20 Toyota suffered a mechanical failure. Christopher Bell is a reserved guy, but it’s clear he’s shocked and processing his early exit as Morgan cannot contain her emotions.
Passion. Personality. Determination. Some of the best talent NASCAR has to offer.
NASCAR has long needed the type of content viewers get in the Netflix docuseries. It shows the sport in an honest light and makes the drivers relatable. It’s not corny or cringeworthy or playing on stereotypes.
There is so much more to NASCAR than what happens on race day; great storytelling is how that becomes known. Netflix tells a great story about an exciting sport that has colorful personalities. If given a chance by viewers, it will make them interested in stock car racing.
But even for the viewers who already are all-in with the sport, the content is intriguing. How it’s presented is in-depth enough to satisfy those who follow the story without dumbing it down for viewers who might come in new or casual enough wanting to learn.
There was no need for creative editing or trying to make heroes and villains. The content is compelling enough to draw people in and make them interested in seeing more and wanting to know more about the drivers. The drivers also come across as natural with the cameras, not rehearsed or forced to share their thoughts.
Storytelling, it’s as simple as that. Finally, NASCAR and its drivers have their stories accurately and compellingly told.
Aaron Cohen and the team from Words + Pictures believe being the outsiders on a project can be a good thing. It’s the approach Cohen and fellow executive producer Connor Schell took when working on “NASCAR: Full Speed,” the Netflix docuseries coming …
Aaron Cohen and the team from Words + Pictures believe being the outsiders on a project can be a good thing.
It’s the approach Cohen and fellow executive producer Connor Schell took when working on “NASCAR: Full Speed,” the Netflix docuseries coming to the streaming service Jan. 30. The five-episode series follows nine drivers on and off the track as they compete for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
“I think people inside the sport might know things and not necessarily realize how interesting they are to a broader audience,” Cohen told RACER. “I’m a big believer in if you do things for the broader audience, the hardcore fan will also find it interesting if it’s well done. The most ridiculous example I can give is if you read an article on NASCAR or Ryan Blaney or Denny Hamlin in The New York Times or Rolling Stone or something more general, I think the hardcore fan will be really interested in that because it’s an outsider’s perspective.”
The first episode, titled “Playoffs or Bust,” covers the final race of the regular season where the 16-driver playoff field is finalized at Daytona International Speedway. The following three episodes break down each round of the playoffs before the finale, “Across the Line,” goes in-depth leading up to and during the fight for the championship at Phoenix Raceway.
All nine drivers who participated in the series were playoff drivers. Among them was Ryan Blaney, who claimed his first Cup Series championship.
“We definitely embraced the idea that we were not NASCAR experts and all of our storytellers working on the show were not experts,” Cohen continued. “So, to come in from the outside and sort of say, ‘Hey, wow, this is a really interesting world.’ So many aspects are super interesting in terms of all the technical stuff and the characters. They are phenomenal characters and I think that’s something we were thinking of first.
“It’s not so much, ‘OK, let’s look at the calendar and how are we going to set up the playoffs?’ It was, ‘Who are the characters that we really want to focus on and dive in on as much as we can?’ And earn their trust to give us the access that we had. We had some amazing access.”
Denny Hamlin opened up his home, brought cameras into meetings at 23XI Racing, and his motorhome at the racetrack. Hamlin’s two daughters, Molly and Taylor, are featured, as is his mother, Mary Lou and father, Dennis.
William Byron shares insight into his training routine and infatuation building Legos. In the episode featuring Ross Chastain, he shares his family’s story of watermelon farming, what it takes to be a race car driver, and even jokes about the nicknames his fellow drivers have for him (spoiler alert, they’re expletives).
Others featured in the series include Bubba Wallace and Bootie Barker, his crew chief. Barker is unafraid of the camera and his honest thoughts on any situation.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who appears on screen and also served as one of the executive producers, felt the group of drivers who participated in the series understood “the task” of showing their personal lives and what goes on at the track. Tyler Reddick brings cameras into his life with fiancé Alexa DeLeon and son Beau, even giving the backstory of the bet that led to Beau’s name.
“I think a lot of those drivers were selected because of their willingness to get outside of their typical responsibilities and be accessible, giving of their time, dive into a project and try to do a great job,” Earnhardt Jr. told RACER. “The drivers who were chosen were ones who have been willing in the past to take on a new project or idea. When we see the success of this program, other drivers will likely come forward after seeing what’s involved. ‘What is it going to take?’ ‘What do I need to do?’ ‘What is expected of me?’ And the reaction to it from our fans.
“All the drivers that were a part of it, they went above and beyond what I think even they were expecting. So that was nice to see. The drivers are the key to open the door. If the drivers don’t give that access, this does not work. Kudos to the ones that were involved. It helped accomplish and create the program I think Netflix wanted to create.”
Bubba Wallace and crew chief Bootie Barker are among the personalities “NASCAR: Full Speed” aims to highlight. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images
Netflix being the streaming platform behind the project likely went a long way. Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged the reach Netflix has and how well known it is. In recent years, Netflix has released some of the most successful sports documentaries whether it be stick-and-ball sports or multiple seasons of “Drive To Survive” following Formula 1.
In putting the series together, Cohen and company were conscious of keeping things simple for new or casual fans while also not boring the die-hard fans. Cohen’s philosophy was if he didn’t understand something, then the viewer wasn’t going to either.
Cohen and Schell spent several days in Charlotte, N.C., over the summer explaining what the series aimed to do and the access needed. It helped make the drivers comfortable and clear on what would be required before filming began.
“It’s really about that matter of trust,” Cohen said.
“I had no doubt that Netflix would have amazing audio, great editing, great production,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I felt they weren’t going to need any advice on making it look great. The trick was going to be how do we get the drivers behind it?”
As a former driver, Earnhardt Jr. knew there would be apprehension about being taken out of context or not represented in the best light. And when it comes to any type of reality show, there is concern over trying to edit someone as the villain. But in this case, the drivers saw the positive being a part of a project that will help grow the sport.
“What I tried to do was help Netflix — the producers and editors — understand these personalities so that they were cast correctly and that the person watching at home who has never seen or heard of these drivers, understands who these personalities are,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I had a great experience with it, and they didn’t ask too much of my time. I wasn’t burdened by it all and I’m even more thankful I got involved after I saw the finished product.”
All five episodes of “NASCAR: Full Speed” will be released at once and available for streaming as of Jan. 30. They are 45 minutes in length.
Cohen hopes the viewer takeaway, especially those who are invested in following NASCAR and its drivers, get what they’re hoping for with behind-the-scenes access and deeper content from the 2023 season. For the broader audience, Cohen hopes they see how fantastic the sport is and the unique personalities behind the wheel.
“It’s super exciting,” he said. “It’s a fun world, and I think we’re really proud of the way we covered it.”
Get ready to watch Big Ten football on Crunchyroll, or whatever.
Soon you won’t be able to find the WWE’s flagship weekly program on cable television. Beginning in 2025, Raw — formerly Monday Night Raw — is headed to Netflix.
The longtime cable staple was a ratings tentpole for the USA, what used to be TNN and, briefly, Sci-Fi Networks. Now it’s headed to streaming thanks to a megadeal that will put the WWE belts alongside Bojack Horseman, Stranger Things and Bridgerton next January. All for the price of $5 billion over 10 years.
This is a story with two narratives. The first is that pro wrestling’s wide appeal is the strongest its been since WWE’s Attitude Era where “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Degeneration X and various versions of The Undertaker and Mick Foley battled in the squared circle. The world’s biggest promotion has been operating at a different level from both an in-ring and storytelling level, creating a product that’s worth $500 million annually for 52 three-hour programs.
The other is that streaming services aren’t ceding any growth when it comes to live sports — or, in this case, sports entertainment. Raw marks Netflix’s first major foray into both sports and live streaming. It’s far from the first platform to break into the field.
Netflix could not ignore the success of Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football simulcasts. Or the loud grumbling and eventual submission to Peacock’s exclusive broadcast rights of the 2024 Wild Card showdown between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. And while those programs were handled very differently — Prime’s ability to mesh live advanced stats and predictive analysis added a unique layer to its coverage, while Peacock offered fans the opportunity to see plays three plays behind the box score and various buffering screens — they both served as drivers for new signups in an increasingly fractured streaming landscape.
That’s a big deal for Netflix, who’ll bid adieu to its most-watched property — Stranger Things — this year. Live sports was the one genre missing from its lineup, and while pro wrestling doesn’t have the cache of the NFL or NBA or MLB (streaming, occasionally, on Apple TV in the past and likely on Prime going forward) it’s more than a niche broadcast. It’s a part of the zeitgeist, a product that maintains a steady viewership and occasionally reaches greater heights on the shoulders of larger-than-life stars. It’s also a property that won’t be folded into Disney’s empire as the parent company of ESPN and all the over-air and streaming broadcasts that come with that.
This $5 billion deal is another cannon blast in the war for live broadcast rights. It’s terrible news for basic and premium cable channels. The only reliable driver of traditional Nielsen ratings — the metric through which advertising slots are priced and sold — is live sports.
Losing Raw is a bitter pill for the USA Network to swallow, but what happens when Prime or Max or Paramount+ or Netflix make a play for the NBA rights that will be up for bidding in 2025? Prime already has access to the regional networks that carry local MLB and NBA games following the bankruptcy of the brand behind Bally Sports Network; is the company whose goal is to be ubiquitous with selling everything you could ever want going to stop there?
The Pac-12 fell apart, in part, because a television deal with Apple TV couldn’t match the revenue more stable major conferences could offer schools via more traditional media rights deals. That’s something that is going to change significantly by the time Big Ten broadcast rights reset in 2030 or Big 12 rights do a year later. It’s possible we’re looking at a future where Wisconsin-UCLA is shown exclusively in seven minute clips on Quibi (I’m kidding, of course. Quibi died, if I remember correctly, because it couldn’t bear to part with its prosthetic golden arm).
This is great news for sports leagues and a further step into Darwinian survival for traditional networks. Major conference college sports and NFL games could be headed for a streaming service that doesn’t yet exist. Raw’s move to Netflix isn’t the start of this trend, but it’s a sign it won’t slow down.
And as long as the broadcasts are more Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football than Peacock, uh, anything, that’s good for sports fans too.
