Netflix’s sports documentaries reputation at stake with Vince McMahon series

If ever there was a project that seemed destined to get shelved, it’s Netflix’s upcoming Mr. McMahon docuseries about former WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

First announced in 2020, the project has since seen enough twists and turns that nobody would have blamed the series’ creators or Netflix for cutting bait. In the last three years alone, the 79-year-old McMahon has resigned from WWE following allegations of sexual misconduct, pulled off a power play to return to the pro wrestling promotion to orchestrate a merger with UFC, only to resign in disgrace — seemingly for good — earlier this year following a lawsuit accusing him of more sexual misconduct, including the trafficking and sexual assault of a former employee.

The details of the allegations are heinous and while Netflix has never shied away from controversial subject matter, making a docuseries about a subject whose legacy is being reshaped in real time is obvious easier said than done. And that’s before factoring in that Netflix now has a media rights deal with WWE, which would obviously prefer that a spotlight not be shined on McMahon and his misdeeds while running the company.

Yet despite the many hurdles and apparent conflicts of interest, the streaming giant surprised many late last month when it announced that the six-part Mr. McMahon series will, in fact, release on Sept. 25. Days later, Netflix released its first trailer for the project, which didn’t shy away from McMahon’s (many) scandals.

Mr. McMahon, chronicling the rise and fall of WWE’s controversial founder, premieres September 25.

With interviews from Vince McMahon prior to his resignation and some of the most iconic names in wrestling. From Chris Smith, Executive Producer of Tiger King, and Bill Simmons. pic.twitter.com/DFYYRN1a9z

— Netflix (@netflix) September 5, 2024

But while it’s one thing to allude to such scandals in a two-minute teaser trailer, it’s another to properly address them over the course of a six-episode series. And doing just that will be critical for the Netflix brand, which is seemingly at a crossroads when it comes to its reputation for sports documentaries.

Once considered a pioneer in the industry that was unafraid to tackle topics deemed too controversial for ESPN’s 30 For 30 franchise, Netflix’s sports docs have recently become one of its most polarizing offerings. The biggest magnet for criticism — including from us — has been the Untold franchise, which has received backlash for giving too much storytelling authority to its subjects, resulting in “documentaries” that often feel more like P.R. puff pieces than actual journalism.

To be clear, other than airing on the same platform, the McMahon series has no connection to Untold. Still, the average sports fan likely isn’t making that distinction and Untold‘s recent fourth season has understandably left a sour taste in the mouths of many viewers when it comes to Netflix’s sports documentaries.

As for who is behind Mr. McMahon, that would be director Chris Smith (Tiger King), who is also an executive producer on the project alongside Bill Simmons. The Ringer founder’s presence is also particularly notable considering his previous criticisms of sports documentaries that are too friendly to the subjects they cover, which will only put Mr. McMahon under a larger microscope for many.

If you’re hoping for an honest and accurate portrayal, the trailer provided some optimism and even a brief clip of Chris Benoit suggests that WWE wasn’t involved in the editorial direction of the series (the company reportedly doesn’t have a production credit on the project). Still, how the series addresses the last two years will be paramount to its critical success, which could prove especially difficult considering that McMahon’s most recent scandals broke while it was still in production.

**Warning: Some minor series spoilers ahead**

According to POST Wrestling’s Brandon Thurston, who was briefed on the contents of the series by a source, Mr. McMahon begins by noting that “most interviews in the docuseries were conducted before McMahon’s initial resignation, his return, WWE’s merger into TKO, and the sex trafficking lawsuit filed by Janel Grant.” From there, the series moves into a linear depiction of McMahon’s life and career — which includes plenty of other controversies — with the sixth and final episode largely focusing on the sex trafficking lawsuit.

While McMahon’s accuser wasn’t interviewed for the series, it’s, at a minimum, encouraging that the project reportedly dedicates an entire episode to the allegations. It’s also worth noting that the series reportedly covers some of the McMahon-related controversies that haven’t previously received much mainstream attention, such as the “ring boy” scandal.

It also makes sense. After all, this a project about McMahon’s life and his controversies — especially the ones that have become known about in the last three years — will perhaps have the biggest impact on how his legacy is remembered. It also says a lot about the state of Netflix’s sports documentaries that we’d even have to wonder whether they would be appropriately covered as such.