Amazon Studios has commissioned a variety of documentaries in its All or Nothing series, spanning numerous sports and leagues. Most of these have been met with high critical acclaim, so it stands to reason that the streaming giant is planning to make more. One of the best offerings in the series so far was All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks, which delved into detail about the legendary rugby playing nation. Rugby fans are likely in search of more content like this, and Australia’s NRL could be an excellent league to focus on next.
All or Nothing Provides Exclusive Access to Viewers
Amazon Prime’s All or Nothing docuseries has been running since 2016, when it debuted with A Season with the Arizona Cardinals. This insightful special gave exclusive access to the behind-the-scenes goings-on of the National Football League franchise and gave viewers a taster of what it was like to be involved with the team at all levels. For example, they got to see what it was like for players on the training ground, but there was also a glimpse of life in the board room for the executives.
Due to the extremely positive response to the original series, Amazon went on to make four more offerings in the NFL. These followed the Los Angeles Rams, the Dallas Cowboys, the Carolina Panthers, and the Philadelphia Eagles. The streaming service also branched out into the English football game and made specials about Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. An Arsenal series is set to be released in 2022. The New Zealand All Blacks documentary was the first for rugby, and its popularity could lead to others. Rugby league hasn’t been explored yet, so this is certainly a possibility.
NRL Needs More Attention Outside of Australia
On the world stage of rugby, Australia is best known for its union team. Within the country, however, rugby league is the more popular format. It has been played Down Under since 1908 and, in 2009, it eclipsed the AFL as the most-watched sport on television in the country. While the league features one team from New Zealand, it is predominantly kept in-house and most of its viewers come from Australia.
An All or Nothing series would be an ideal way to give viewers a glimpse into what makes rugby league so popular in Australia. Amazon has already created Making their Mark, a series centring on the popularity of AFL, and it would make sense for the showrunners to return to Australia for more content.
Anyone looking to make a series would have plenty of major teams to choose from. Right now, the top sides are Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm. They can be found at odds of 17/4 and 9/2 respectively in the NRL betting to win the Grand Final this year at the time of writing. Amazon could opt to create a series based on one of these and, if it’s successful, go on to make content about other NRL teams.
All or Nothing has already covered NFL, football, rugby union, and ice hockey, and it only seems like a matter of time before it branches out into other sports. Australia’s NRL is a prime candidate for a docuseries, as this is one of the most popular sports in the country.
