Netflix has been making cuts once again with several new shows canceled, including one original series that recently had its second season released. While fans enjoyed the series, it seems as though viewership numbers dropped by its second season, convincing Netflix to cancel the title after two seasons.
Fans already suspected that the series was likely axed. The show, a documentary series, would have had to begin shooting at a certain point in time for a third season. Obviously without any kind of production news, it seemed obvious that it was over, and now that seems to be the case.
In addition to the show’s first season performing better than the second, the first season consisted of ten episodes while the second only had eight. Overall, the show lasted for a total of eighteen episodes during its run from October 2024 to October 2025.
Here’s what the outlet Sports Business Journal shared on that front regarding the Netflix series being canceled after just two seasons:
“The sports documentary space is robust, but it ain’t easy. I’m hearing that ‘Starting 5‘ is getting benched after a two-season run on Netflix.”
For those unfamiliar, Starting 5 is a Netflix documentary series that revolves around a group of NBA players per season. Quite a few major players were involved with the series as producers including LeBron James’ production company as well as former United States president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama.
The first season of Starting 5 revolved around players Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum. The second season of the series revolved around Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, and James Harden.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding Netflix and the latest cancelations or renewals from the streaming platform. It’s definitely disappointing for NBA fans to see that Starting 5 has been canceled, but it seems as though the viewership just wasn’t enough to keep the show going.