• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Cricket Is World’s No. 2 Sport. Can New Docuseries Add U.S. Audience?

  • GOATS Entertainment announced its next docuseries will focus on cricket.
  • The sport is gaining momentum in the U.S. after the country hosted the T-20 World Cup this summer.
USA Cricket

A production company that’s made documentaries with athletes like Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods is setting its sights on cricket.

On Monday, GOATS Entertainment announced its next project, The GOATS of Cricket, a docuseries that will come out next year highlighting a dozen of the sport’s all-time greats. It’s a similar model to the company’s two earlier series, which highlighted a number of athletes through the eyes of sports photographer Walter Iooss. The first iteration aired on ESPN and ABC in 2021, and the second will debut early next year.

Focusing on cricket is an ambitious task. It’s the world’s second-most popular sport behind soccer, but doesn’t have a strong foothold in the U.S. This summer’s T-20 World Cup, partially hosted by the U.S., helped pick up steam for the sport, especially given the unlikely success of Team USA led by Oracle software engineer Saurabh Netravalkar.

But it’s still a long way from mainstream popularity. Luckily, the model already exists in Netflix’s Drive to Survive, which has remained wildly popular for the streamer in its sixth season. The show resonates because of its characters, not by assuming any prior knowledge of the sport.

The idea for a show about cricket didn’t happen because the U.S.-based GOATS staff is wild about the sport. CEO Joe DiMuro tells Front Office Sports his team picked up on the growing popularity of cricket domestically and attended some matches and networking events at the T-20 World Cup this summer. That’s where they solidified their partnership with Wisden, the makers of the sport’s annual reference book known as the “Bible of Cricket,” which will serve as the encyclopedic engine for the show.

“Money is paying attention,” DiMuro says. “Meaning, investors, strategics, private equity, venture capital, athletes—domestic-based athletes who are looking at cricket teams and or leagues of which they can enter as a business venture—which is always a good indicator of what’s happening with the sport.”

The biggest question in all of this, of course, is the media deal. The reason Drive to Survive is so popular is because it’s widely available on Netflix. GOATS Entertainment doesn’t yet have a distributor for the series. The show will need a deal on a major U.S. network or streamer to take off in the U.S., but it also needs a foothold in the countries that are already mad about cricket, like India, Pakistan, the U.K., and Australia. Those deals haven’t been struck yet, but DiMuro says targeting international markets will be a “critical part” of the show’s media strategy.

Disney, which already partners with the parent company (Reliance) of the Indian streaming network JioTV, could be a potential landing spot, especially given the production company already aired the first GOATS series on ESPN and ABC. And, ESPN+ already owns a good portion of cricket matches in the U.S.

“We are looking to build a multi-pronged, multi-channel, omni-channel approach,” DiMuro says. “Primary exhibition, maybe it’s one network, maybe it’s one streaming provider that has access to these international countries, and then there’s probably a secondary and tertiary window.”

DiMuro says production will begin next year, with an ideal release date around August or September.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

How COVID-19 Transformed Sports Media

COVID-19 changed how games are produced and even how we watch them.
Teammates embrace during matchup in The Hundred cricket league

Google, Microsoft, Adobe CEOs Buy Stakes in Cricket League

The England and Wales Cricket Board raised £520m by selling team stakes.
Sundar Pichai

Google, Microsoft CEOs Team Up in Attempt to Buy Cricket Team

Five Silicon Valley CEOs have come together for a joint ownership bid.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
YouTube/ Multiple streaming services appear on a Roku TV.

YouTube in Another Carriage Dispute, This Time With Disney

ESPN and ABC could be dropped from the No. 4 U.S. pay-TV distributor.
May 17, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) shakes hands with New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) after the top of the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium.
October 23, 2025

Mets, Yankees, and the Nielsen Debate That Won’t Go Away

Weeks after the end of the MLB regular season, viewership issues remain.
Oct 21, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) keeps the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half at Paycom Center
October 23, 2025

NBA’s NBC Return Draws 5.9M Viewers, Best Opener Since 2010

Thunder vs. Rockets peaked at 7.1 million viewers.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Brian Windhorst
October 23, 2025

Brian Windhorst Details Emergency Landing on Omaha–L.A. Flight

The pilots and flight attendants had a communication issue.
October 22, 2025

YouTube Stars Help Bring Back Golf Channel’s ‘Big Break’

The show will return in 2026 after an 11-year hiatus.
Candace Parker
October 22, 2025

Candace Parker Wants NFL-Style Coverage From NBA Media

Amazon will stream its first NBA doubleheader Friday.
Netflix
October 21, 2025

Netflix Staying on the Sidelines As TNT Sports Parent Seeks Buyer

The streaming giant shows little interest in acquisition possibilities.