10 TV Shows Similar To Running Point
Netflix brought its A-game with the sports comedy Running Point. The series marks Hollywood starlet Kate Hudson’s debut as a leading role in a television series. While Hudson has made notable TV appearances in shows like Glee and Scream Queens, Running Point is her first time leading a show.
In the series, she plays Isla Gordon, the wildcard daughter of a wealthy family who is unexpectedly appointed president of their professional basketball team after a family crisis. Filled with inspiring sports moments, heartwarming personal stories, and plenty of dramatic highs, Running Point strikes a perfect balance between sports adrenaline and emotional depth, making it as easy and addictive to watch as Ted Lasso and Shoresy.
If you’re on the hunt for more tv shows like Running Point, here are 10 TV shows that you can’t go wrong with:
Another Netflix original sports-drama, Glow is a fierce and empowering series that takes you front row into the bustling world of female wrestling. Like Running Point, the show balances high-stakes professional challenges of being a woman in a male dominated space, with deeply personal arcs. But where Running Point leans into the nuances of modern day sports management, Glow revels in the retro charm of the 80’s—more campy, colourful, and theatrical in style.
Glow isn’t afraid to get serious, and its deliberate, character-focused pacing makes it weightier and more emotionally resonant than Running Point. So if you’re not in the mood for drama-heavy moments and retro flamboyance, this might not be the show for you. Also given that it’s centered around wrestling, there’s a fair share of staged combat, blood, and the kind of mature themes, language, alcohol, and sexual situations that make it best suited for adult viewers. But if you enjoy character-driven and sports-centric shows like Cheer or Betty, Glow might be a nice fit, offering the same mix of personal growth, ambition, and behind-the-scenes drama.
Centered around a washed-up professional football player as he transitions from being a star in the NFL to working as a financial manager for his friends still active in the game, Ballers, is a hilarious sports-comedy that strips down the inner workings and extravagant lifestyles of NFL players, diving into their wild ways of spending and living large. Plus, it’s led by the charismatic Dwayne The Rock Johnson, who brings his signature energy to the series.
Flashy, fast-paced, and full of larger than life personalities, Ballers, is a lot like Entourage but for sports. Like Running Point and Ted Lasso, the show blends sports with the personal lives of the players, and behind-the-scenes politics that run the game, but by leaning more into the excess and humour of it all, than the high emotional stakes. That said, with its frequent adult language, sexual content, and depictions of partying, it’s definitely aimed at mature audiences who are fans of shows like Shoresy rather than younger viewers.
If Running Point won you over with its mix of sports and heartfelt drama, Friday Night Lights deserves a spot on your list. Both shows thrive on strong ensemble casts and complex, personal storylines where the characters’ lives matter just as much as the game itself. One thing both Running Point and Friday Night Lights share is a strong ensemble cast with complex, well-developed characters whose personal journeys drive the heart of each story.
Friday Night Lights is a lot more grounded and gritty, tackling themes like class, race, and the weight of expectations head on making it perfect for fans of character driven dramas like Parenthood or This Is Us. It’s on our list because at its core, it shares the same DNA of sports bringing people together and shaping their lives. But if you’re not into slower, serious dramas and prefer something fast-paced and witty, you’ll probably enjoy Ted Lasso or Ballers a lot more.
While there’s no denying that the high-stakes basketball in Running Point is thrilling and intense, the messy, power-hungry dynamics of an ultra-wealthy family bring a whole new level of entertainment to the show. If you're looking for a more nerve-wracking and serious take on family power struggles, check out Succession. This HBO black comedy-drama follows siblings fighting for control, influence, and power after the demise of their father, who was the head of a global media empire.
Succession isn’t as easy or light as some of the other entries on this list like Hacks or Haikyu!!, in fact it’s the complete opposite—think Running Point meets Mad Men or Billions, with its razor sharp dialogue, seething tension, and nail biting suspense. But the series has been hailed as one of the greatest television shows of all time by critics. If you loved the messy family relationships in Running Point but want something grittier, heavier, and more psychologically intense, Succession will deliver.
Running Point is more than just a show about basketball; it’s also a powerful female narrative about resilience and personal growth. If you enjoyed the strength and depth of well-drawn female leads like Isla and Ali Lee, then Hacks is definitely worth a watch. This sharp American comedy-drama stars six time Primetime Emmy winning actress Jean Smart as a legendary stand-up comedian who teams up with a young, but ambitious comedy writer to save her aging act from losing her residency at a prestigious casino.
The dynamic between the seasoned comedian and the up-and-coming writer is just as magnetic as the one between Isla and Ali. Hacks is also equally as fast-paced, easy-going, and bingeable as Running Point, but instead of the world of sports, it dives into the cutthroat world of comedy. If the sports drama is what hooked you, you might not enjoy this one as much, but for fans of witty, character driven shows with strong female leads like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel or Fleabag, Hacks will check off all the right boxes.
Haikyu!! is a worthy mention for all anime lovers who love underdog sports dramas like Running Point and Ted Lasso. Haikyu!! blends the adrenaline pumping world of high school volleyball with heartfelt stories of teamwork, friendship, and perseverance. It’s nowhere near as high-pressure as the world of professional basketball, but Haikyu!!’s charm lies in its youthful, coming-of-age vibe.
Like Running Point, the characters in Haikyu!! are lovable, quirky, and deeply relatable, making it easy to invest in their journeys and root for them until the very end. It’s also kid-friendly, making it a perfect entry point for younger viewers curious about sports anime, while still offering enough emotional depth to captivate older audiences.
Running Point gives a glimpse into how chaotic the aftermath of a scandal can be for a professional basketball team. Clipped takes it a step further, diving deep into one of the biggest scandals in basketball history, as the Clippers' general manager is ousted by his former girlfriend for being a criminal.
This limited series, based on ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcast, follows LA’s other basketball team amidst the downfall of their franchise and the team’s drive to win the championship title amidst all the turmoil. The series is intense, gripping, and nail-bitingly suspenseful, hooking you into the drama from the very first episode. Given that it’s based on a true story, Clipped leans more into the true-crime space and less into the light, aspirational territory of Running Point. It’s the perfect pick for fans of scandal-driven dramas like Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty or The People v. O. J. Simpson, and for viewers who love their sports stories with a heavy dose of real-world controversy.
If you love the exhilarating and high-stakes world of professional basketball, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is a must-watch. The series offers a dramatic glimpse into the meteoric rise of basketball’s most iconic team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Set in the glamorous ‘80s LA, the series is fast-paced, captivating, and filled with vibrant energy.
Featuring intense rivalries, high-stakes games, and unforgettable characters, Winning Time packs in everything you’d expect and more from a riveting sports drama. While Running Point has a more lighthearted, heartwarming tone with a focus on underdog sports moments and personal growth, Winning Time dives into the intense and sometimes gritty aspects of the Lakers’ rise, including power struggles, egos, and personal conflicts, making it a more suitable watch for fans of more serious entries on this list like Clipped and Glow.
If you enjoyed the competitive spirit and fast-paced narrative of Running Point, you should definitely consider watching Shoresy next. Shoresy follows a veteran hockey player, Shoresy, who moves to Sudbury, Canada, to help coach a hockey team that’s lost 20 straight games, with the goal of turning them around and stopping the losing streak. Like Ted Lasso and Running Point, sports serve as the backdrop for these heartfelt and uplifting stories about teamwork and competitive spirit, all delivered with a charming ensemble cast you can’t help but root for.
But where Running Point balances humour with drama, Shoresy plunges headfirst into irreverent humour, colourful banter, and unapologetically brash characters, making it perfect for fans of rowdy, raunchy, and proudly adult sports shows beaming with testosterone. For people who love underdog sport shows but want it grittier and more irreverent, Shoresy is closer in vibe to Letterkenny and The League.
