Sports is just another form of TV content, and networks and streaming services have eagerly sought to stretch that out over more hours. So it's hardly a surprise to see the drama spilling off the fields, courts and mats and into docuseries and documentaries, focusing not just on the games people play but the people who play them.

MTV's 'The Real World,' which premiered in 1992, set the template for several successful reality TV franchises that followed, from 'Survivor' to 'The Bachelor.'