Netflix is stepping away from one of its most ambitious basketball projects. Multiple industry voices say the streamer plans to cancel “Starting 5” after two seasons, a surprising move considering the series delivered marquee names, historic moments, and a built-in NBA Finals showdown that most sports docs would dream about, per SportsBusinessJournal. Still, the numbers didn’t match the expectations.

The series followed five players through the grind of an NBA season. Season 2 featured Tyrese Haliburton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Jaylen Brown. The year ended with Haliburton and Shai battling in a seven-game Finals, a perfect setup on paper. Yet interest stalled. Third-party analytics showed that “Starting 5” couldn’t keep up with the NFL’s “Quarterback,” a comparison Netflix likely paid attention to while studying viewership trends.

Industry analyst Entertainment Strategy Guy noted that Season 1’s viewership trailed far behind “Quarterback,” and that lag carried through this back half of the year. Netflix hasn’t released Season 2’s internal data yet, and those numbers won’t arrive until early 2026, but the early signs painted a clear picture. The streamer didn’t see the growth it needed.

Moments That Still Hit Hard

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Even with the cancellation, “Starting 5” created scenes that resonated with fans. Season 2 documented Haliburton’s devastating Achilles tear in Game 7 of the Finals. Cameras caught his shock, the emotional fallout, and Shai walking into the tunnel to console him just minutes after winning the title. That clip circled every major feed and reminded viewers why access matters.

The season also captured Durant working through renewed speculation about a return to Golden State, and Harden introducing his son to the world for the first time on camera. Add Brown’s behind-the-scenes rhythm, and the series offered no shortage of material that should have sparked interest.

Season 1 delivered memorable moments too. LeBron James took friendly fire from his kids in a scene that exploded across social platforms, and Anthony Edwards sprinted out of the arena mid-game to reach the hospital for the birth of his son. The concept worked creatively. It just didn’t convert viewers at the level Netflix wanted.

With the cancellation, Netflix signals that even high-profile NBA access needs more than star power. In today’s crowded documentary space, the audience decides quickly, and this time the audience chose something else.