Netflix has shut down its NBA docuseries ‘Starting 5’ after two seasons, ending a project that once looked like the league’s answer to the NFL’s wildly successful ‘Quarterback.’ The show never found the audience Netflix hoped for, and according to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, the viewership simply wasn’t strong enough to justify a third season. Even with major stars on board and strong production behind it, the series didn’t connect at a level that could keep it alive.
‘Starting 5’ followed five players through the grind of the season, blending behind-the-scenes access with off-court storylines that were supposed to appeal to casual fans as much as diehards. On paper, Season 2 should have delivered the breakout moment the show needed. It tracked Tyrese Haliburton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Jaylen Brown, and the season ended with a ready-made finale: Haliburton and Shai facing off in a seven-game NBA Finals. But even that dramatic setup didn’t spark the ratings jump Netflix wanted.
The platform hasn’t shared internal data yet, which won’t arrive until early 2026, but third-party analytics already told the story. Season 1 lagged far behind the NFL’s ‘Quarterback,’ and Season 2 didn’t reverse the trend. The cancellation makes it clear Netflix didn’t see a path forward.
It’s a tough outcome because the show produced moments that fans still talk about. Season 2 captured one of the most emotional scenes of the year when Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7. Cameras stayed on him through the shock and heartbreak, then followed Shai as he walked into the tunnel to console him moments after winning the title. That clip went everywhere.
The season also showed Durant navigating the trade rumors linking him back to Golden State, and it featured Harden revealing his son to the world.
Season 1 was filled with memorable storytelling, too. LeBron James got roasted by his kids in a scene that spread across social media. Anthony Edwards sprinted out of the arena mid-game to catch the birth of his son. It had the access fans usually want from a project like this.
The problem wasn’t the material. It was the reach. ‘Quarterback,’ which became the gold standard for player-driven sports docuseries almost instantly, landed an 8.0 rating on IMDb and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. ‘Starting 5’ never came close. Its 7.2 IMDb rating and 60% Rotten Tomatoes score reflect a gap that’s hard to overcome when the NFL dominates American sports culture the way it does. Even Roger Goodell has joked that he doesn’t view the NBA as competition.
“Starting 5” tried to clear a similar lane for basketball, but it never built the wide audience needed to keep a show like this going. It may still be remembered fondly by the fans who watched it, and it certainly gave the league some standout moments, but the streaming world is unforgiving.
Good content isn’t enough unless you have the numbers behind it. Netflix didn’t, and the series ends there.
