7 sports dramas to watch if you liked Olympo
The conflicted world of top athletic competition is the setting of Netflix's newest youth sports drama, Olympo, released on June 20, 2025. Set in the Pirineos Center of High Performance, it depicts the emotional and physical challenges faced by the top young athletes in Spain as they strive for fame.
Amaia, played by Clara Galle, is the national artistic swimming team's fierce captain. After her best friend's unexpectedly good performance throws her off, she gets caught in a world of lies and performance-enhancing drugs. With doping claims going around, Olympo raises the important question of how far these athletes are willing to go to win.
Those who enjoyes the high-stakes environment of competitive sports of Olympo, other sports dramas like Spinning Out, Pitch, and All American, among others also offer the same emotional depth and competitive fire.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the author.
Spinning Out, Pitch, All American, and other sports dramas similar to Olympo
1) Spinning Out (2020)
Spinning Out premiered on Netflix on January 1, 2020. It follows Kat Baker (Kaya Scodelario), a talented figure skater whose ambitions of competing in the Olympics are ruined by a terrible fall. She is ready to quit when she is given a second chance to skate with Justin Davis (Evan Roderick), a brilliant but troubled skater.
As Kat strives to go back on the ice, she has to hide her bipolar disorder and deal with a family background full of mental illnesses, money problems, and broken relationships.
Similar to Olympo, Spinning Out dives into the psychological cost of elite sports. Kat’s path is a raw, emotional portrait of an athlete trying to hold herself together. She pushes toward a goal that could just as easily break her. The pressure of coaching, high-stakes competition, and relentless ambition weighs heavily on her every move.
Where to watch: Netflix
2) Pitch (2016)
Pitch is a sports drama that explores optimism, peer pressure, and perseverance in the face of adversity. The first woman to wear a Major League Baseball uniform was Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury). The plot follows her rise to prominence as a talented athlete as the San Diego Padres welcome her as a new member.
Ginny's legendary screwball pitch gets her into the league, but it is her courage and will that make the narrative captivating. Being a pioneer comes with its share of challenges, and like Amaia in Olympo Ginny must face all of them as she makes her way through the cutthroat world of professional athletics.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
3) All American (2018–present)
All American is a sports drama based on the life of NFL standout Spencer Paysinger, which premiered on The CW in October 2018. Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), a teenage football player from Crenshaw who transfers to a high school in Beverly Hills, must struggle with identity, allegiance, and pressure in two completely different worlds.
Like Olympo, this show delves on the psychological toll that professional sports have on families by way of economic inequality, mental illness, and other social ills.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV, The CW
4) Dare Me (2019–2020)
Dare Me examines the dangerous nature of high school cheerleading competitions. Seen through the lens of love and desire, the story takes place in a small town in the Midwest and follows a tight-knit cheerleading team as they navigate the challenges that come with having a strange new coach, Colette French (Willa Fitzgerald).
Like Olympo, Dare Me shows how psychological struggles affect competitions. A single-minded drive to win at any cost can ruin friendships and transform who individuals are, which makes the search for greatness dangerous. A fascinating blend of teen thriller and sports drama, Dare Me exposes how far teenage athletes will go to get ahead.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Netflix
5) Hot Stove League (2019–2020)
Another sports drama similar to Olympo is Hot Stove League. The series follows Baek Seung-soo (Namkoong Min), the new general manager of Dreams, Korea's worst professional baseball team as he attempts to bring the squad back to life. Seung-soo may not have any baseball experience, but he brings a bold, unusual attitude and a tremendous drive to win that shakes up the team's traditional method of doing things.
Park Eun-bin plays Lee Se-young, the operations manager who has always been there for the team when things go wrong. Se-young and Seung-soo work together to get past their differences, money problems, and years of failure so that Dreams may become a team that people can trust.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Rakuten Viki, Kocowa
6) Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)
The 2006 NBC sports drama Friday Night Lights takes place in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, where football is more than just a game. It's a way of life. Created by Peter Berg, the series is based on H.G. Bissinger's 1990 novel.
It follows Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), his wife Tami (Connie Britton), and a group of high school kids. They deal with the problems of living in a small town and the stress of playing high school football. While striving to fulfill their aspirations, each character has to cope with their own problems.
Like Olympo, this series looks at how the road to success may be hard on one's emotions. The narrative starts with the injury of Jason Street, the great quarterback. It then goes into topics like racism, addiction, money troubles, and families that have fallen apart. The story shows how trying to be the greatest may help individuals but also hurt them.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
7) Make It or Break It (2009–2012)
Four elite young gymnasts prepare for the 2012 Olympics at "The Rock," a top-level gymnastics center. Debuting on ABC Family in 2009, it mixes high athletic desire with personal turmoil, such as injuries, family problems, and rivalries. Starring Josie Lauren, Ayla Kell, Cassie Scerbo, and Chelsea Hobbs, it ran for three seasons. Real gymnasts played the parts of stunt doubles.
Moreover, like Olympo, it explores the mental and emotional costs of being famous. In the midst of pursuing their Olympic dreams, the women face betrayals, pressure from their coach, and the need to be flawless. The show highlights the positive and negative effects of high-performance sports on young athletes.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Hulu, Disney+
Viewers can watch and stream Olympo online on Netflix.
