This month NITV is celebrating its special ‘Sportember’ season – dedicating the month to sports programming with a curated line-up of powerful documentaries, series and films from various sporting codes including boxing, baseball, basketball, Rugby League, Aussie Rules and more – alongside our weekly NRL and AFL shows Yokayi Footy and Over the Black Dot, as they dissect finals footy in the lead up to the grand final matches.
Online, NITV will also feature a dedicated ‘Sportember’ collection on our .
The South Sydney Story
Wednesdays, 7.30pm
The South Sydney Rabbitohs was established in 1908 and remains the oldest and most successful Rugby League clubs, winning a record 21 Premierships.
The South Sydney Story, a six-part documentary series, follows the club’s fortunes after actor, Russell Crowe, and business man, Peter Holmes à Court, joined forces in a partnership to buy and take over the club, after receiving a 75% majority of member votes at an historic General Meeting in 2006.
Souths Rabbitohs v Parramatta Eels at Sydney Olympic Stadium, Sunday March 25th 2007. Source: Colin Whelan
Yokayi Footy
Wednesdays, 8.00pm
Yokayi is victory and a celebration! An AFL Footy show covering everything we love about the game through an entertaining and youthful lens. Hosted by Tony Armstrong, Megan Waters.
Championing young, diverse players and perspectives, Yokayi Footy returns. to NITV in March. Source: NITV
Over the Black Dot
Wednesdays, 8.35pm
Over the Black Dot, NITV’s flagship NRL panel show, showcases the best Indigenous rugby league players and analysts, joining forces to break down the greatest game of all.
Over the Black Dot 2020 panel (L-R): Jodan Perry, Timana Tahu, Bo Dela Cruz, George Rose Source: Ryan Stuart
Bruce Lee: Be Water (NITV Premiere)
Sunday 5 September, 8.40pm
Bruce Lee, Martial-arts legend, rose to fame starring in action films in the early 1970’s and fascinated audiences as the popularity of martial arts began to rise in the United States. However, many people may not be aware of the experiences Lee faced growing up in Hong Kong or the challenging obstacles being rejected by Hollywood.
Bruce Lee: Be Water, explores the life and legacy of the famous martial arts great, who died at the age of thirty-two. Through archival footage, interviews with those who were close to him and Lee’s own writings, the film documents the racism Lee endured trying to land lead roles, questioning identity and representation within the entertainment industry.
Source: Supplied
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
Rodman: For Better or Worse (NITV Premiere)
Tuesday 7 September, 8.30pm
NBA champion, Dennis Rodman, was one of the most skilled rebounders and defenders in the game playing for the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
Directed by Todd Kapostasy, Rodman: For Better or Worse, takes a look at the life and career of Rodman, investigating his childhood and upbringing, relationships with family and teammates and his basketball career.
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
Jackie Robinson
Tuesday 7 September, 10.20pm
Jack Roosevelt Robinson, better known as Jackie Robinson, a gifted athlete, was an American professional baseball player. He became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
Robinson began speaking out against racial injustice both on and off the field, challenging players and umpires, speaking out to the media as he drew criticism across the league. After Robinson retired from baseball, he continued to use his platform to draw attention to the civil rights movement and campaigned to improve the lives of African Americans.
Directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon, this four-part series records the personal and professional life of Robinson, from humble beginnings to breaking baseball colour barriers. Actor and singer-songwriter, Jamie Foxx is the voice of Robinson as he reads extracts from his newspaper columns, letters and autobiographies and features interviews with Robinson’s family, former President Barack Obama, and Dodgers teammates.
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
Pariah: The Lives and Deaths Of Sonny Liston (NITV Premiere)
Sunday 12 September, 8.40pm
Sonny Liston was an American professional boxer, competing from 1953 to 1970. Liston became heavyweight champion of the world in 1962, after knocking out Floyd Patterson, defending his title the following year. However, in 1964 he lost his title after being beaten by Muhammad Ali and retired soon after following a shoulder injury. He would return to the ring a year later in a rematch with Ali, however, was knocked out in the first round.
Directed by Simon George, this documentary looks at the life and death of the iconic boxer, who died from a suspicious overdose in 1971, at his home in Las Vegas. Featuring interviews with Liston’s family and close friends, sporting greats and accompanied with photographs and archival footage.
A picture of Sonny Liston and team in a still from Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston. Source: SHOWTIME
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
D. Wade: Life Unexpected
Tuesday 14 September, 8.30pm
Dwyane Wade, a former professional basketball player, spent most of his career playing for the Miami Heat in the NBA and briefly played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade returned to Miami Heat to finish his playing career, where he retired in 2019.
D. Wade: Life Unexpected, directed by Bob Metelus, is an up-close and personal, intimate look at Wade’s life and career as he documents with a film crew for a decade.
Source: Wade life unexpected
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
The Final Quarter
Sunday 19 September, 8.40pm
Adam Goodes, was a champion AFL footballer, playing for the Sydney Swans, and an Indigenous leader. Goodes went on to have a successful career at the club, being awarded several accolades, including the recipient of the Brownlow Medal in 2003 and 2006. In 2014 Goodes was named Australian of the Year for his community work supporting Indigenous youth through the Go Foundation and his efforts to call out racism. However, amid all his success, Goodes became the target of repeated booing and racial taunts by fans as he continued to call out racism, leading to his early retirement from the game he loved.
The Final Quarter, directed by Ian Darling, is a powerful documentary that uses archival footage, photographs and interviews to examine the incidents and treatment of Goodes throughout the final three years of his playing career which caused heated public debate and media attention across the nation.
Adam Goodes in "The Final Quarter". Source: Supplied
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
Stolen Glory: The Tale of Porky Brooke
Sunday 19 September, 9.35pm
Graeme Porky Brooke was an Indigenous boxer and Australian sporting star during the 1980’s. Brooke was also the first cousin of Australian boxing great Lionel Rose, who dreamt of following his cousin’s footsteps into the ring. When Brooke was sixteen, he left school to train with boxing coach and mentor, Jack Rennie. Brooke had a successful amateur boxing career, and when he reached the profession ranks, he was undefeated for twenty straight fights, winning the Australian lightweight title and Commonwealth lightweight title. 
Stolen Glory: The Tale of Porky Brooke, features archival footage and interviews and is the first time Brooke has spoken in detail about the final stages of his career, that was tragically cut short.
Graeme Porky Brooke Source: Supplied
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
Guru of Go
Tuesday 21 September, 8.30pm
Guru of Go, directed by , tells the story of rising college basketball star, Hank Gathers, who collapsed during a game against UC Santa Barbara and was diagnosed with an abnormal heartbeat.
Gathers was determined to continue playing and returned to the court three games later, however, within less than three months, he tragically died on the court.
Hank Gathers Source: Supplied
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
The Infinite Race (NITV Premiere)
Sunday 26 September, 8.40pm
The Infinite Race tells the story of the Tarahumara tribe, an Indigenous community living in the remote Sierra Madre mountains of Northern Mexico. Throughout recent years the Tarahumara athletes have gained attention for their long-distance running, remarkably running in sandals made from old tire treads.
Directed and produced by Bernardo Ruiz, the documentary tells a story of strength, resilience and the connection between running, culture and politics.
Source: Supplied
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
Chi-Town
Tuesday 28 September, 8.30pm
Keifer Sykes is a professional basketball player from the South Side of Chicago. Sykes played basketball at Marshall High School and then went on to star for the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay.
Chi-Town is a raw and intimatedocumentary,following Keifer Sykes NBA journey as he pursues his basketball career while dealing with personal loss, injury and violence back home in Chicago.
Source: Supplied
Available on SBS On Demand after broadcast
Fair Game
Heritier Lumumba, was a professional AFL player, playing for Collingwood and Melbourne Football clubs.
Fair Game, directed by Jeff Daniels, explores the impact of racial discrimination and firsthand accounts of Lumumba’s search for identity as he confronts racism and prejudice at the Collingwood Football Club. Through exclusive interviews with Lumumba, his family and friends, former teammates and sports journalists, this documentary sheds light on Lumumba’s personal and professional life on and off the field.
Collingwood's Héritier Lumumba and the clubs 1938 premiership team. Source: John Donegan
Available now On Demand
This Magic Moment
Throughout the mid 1990’s the Orlando Magic, led by the team’s superstar players, Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, were the talk of the NBA both on and off the court.
This Magic Moment, directed by Gentry Kirby and Erin Leyden, relives the early days when O’Neil and Hardaway ruled the courts as well as pop culture. Through archival footage and interviews, the documentary tells the story of the Orlando Magic and its two-star players.
Source: Supplied
Available now On Demand
Marion Jones: Press Pause
American athlete, Marion Jones, was a talented runner and basketball player, who began competing internationally at the age of twelve in track and field competitions. Jones starred at the University of North Carolina and won gold at the 1997 and 1999 World Track and Field Championships, but it was in the year 2000 that saw her rise to the top, when Jones won five track and field medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
However, after years of denying the use of performance enhancing drugs, Jones finally admitted to using banned substances and was sentenced to six months in prison for lying to Federal investigators.
"Marion Jones: Press Pause" Oscar-nominated director John Singleton will focus on the evolution of Marion Jones. Source: ESPN
Directed by John Singleton, Marion Jones: Press Pause, recounts the rise and fall of the Olympic athlete as she reflects on her past and the new direction her life has taken.
Available now On Demand
Muhammad and Larry
In October 1980, iconic boxer, Muhammad Ali prepared to fight friend and former sparring partner, Larry Holmes, for a fourth heavyweight title.
Muhammad and Larry, Directed by Albert and David Maysles, documents the weeks of training leading up to the fight and includes interviews with both Ali and Holmes camps, as they prepare to enter the ring.
Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali face off. Source: Supplied
Available now On Demand
Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks
Reggie Miller played professional basketball for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA and was known for his three-point shooting precision. Winning a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics and when retiring, Miller held the record for the most career three-point goals made.
In the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Indiana Pacers took on the New York Knicks, Miller scored eight points with seconds remaining in the game to give the Pacers an astounding victory and crushing the hearts of Knicks fans. This career defining performance made Miller public enemy number one in New York City.
In the documentary, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks, director Dan Klores captures the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks through highlights and interviews.
Available now On Demand
Without Bias
A rising Basketball superstar, Len Bias, was drafted to the Boston Celtics in 1986, however two days later he was tragically found dead from a cocaine overdose at just twenty-two years old. 
Without Bias, directed by Kirk Fraser, explores the life and death of Bias through interviews with family, friends and teammates to determine exactly what happened the night of his death – forever altering the perception of casual drug use.
Source: Supplied
Available now On Demand
Serena vs The Umpire
In 2018, tennis superstar, Serena Williams was hoping to win her twenty-fourth Grand Slam tournament at the US Open, however she was defeated by Naomi Osaka in the women’s final. During the second set Williams was charged with three code violations, leading to the loss of the game following a heated debate with chair umpire Carlos Ramos.
Through interviews with broadcaster Pam Shriver, retired umpire Palma Chryst, tennis journalists and more, the documentary, Serena vs The Umpire, looks at one of the biggest sports controversies of 2018.
Serena William versus the Umpire Source: Supplied
Available now On Demand
