This Sporting Life

Name: This Sporting Life
Genre: Drama
Released: 1963-02-07
Duration: 2 h 14 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel, William Hartnell, Colin Blakely

1963·Movie·12·134 min·★ 7.0(122)

Drama More English titles

“He only believed in strength - love was a word he hadn't the power to say.”

In Northern England in the early 1960s, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver.

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Click a service to open This Sporting Life there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is This Sporting Life streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Criterion Channel, The Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV, Plex	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
United Kingdom	ITVX Premium, ITVX	—
Canada	Criterion Channel, Tubi TV, Plex	Apple TV Store
Germany	—	Google Play Movies, YouTube
Spain	Amazon Prime Video, Filmin, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	—

About This Sporting Life

This Sporting Life is a 1963 English-language drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. The cast is led by Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel. It has a runtime of 2h 14m. Viewers rate it 7.0/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Criterion Channel, The Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV.

This Sporting Life was produced by Julian Wintle/Leslie Parkyn Productions and J. Arthur Rank Organisation and made in United Kingdom. It was released on February 7, 1963, and carries a 12 certification.

Director: Lindsay Anderson
Writers: David Storey
Release date: February 7, 1963
Original language: English
Age rating: 12
Status: Released
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: $0 million
Production: Julian Wintle/Leslie Parkyn Productions, J. Arthur Rank Organisation

#northern england#based on novel or book#sports#widow#rugby#yorkshire#black and white#bitterness#kitchen sink realism#coal miner#landlady tenant relationship

This Sporting Life cast & crew

This Sporting Life was directed by Lindsay Anderson and written by David Storey.

The cast features Richard Harris as Frank Machin, Rachel Roberts as Mrs. Margaret Hammond, Alan Badel as Gerald Weaver, William Hartnell as 'Dad' Johnson, Colin Blakely as Maurice Braithwaite, and Vanda Godsell as Mrs Anne Weaver.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Roberto Gerhard, cinematography is by Denys N. Coop, and it was produced by Karel Reisz.

Is This Sporting Life worth watching?

This Sporting Life holds an audience score of 7.0/10 from 122 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

At 2h 14m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, This Sporting Life is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch This Sporting Life

In United States, you can stream This Sporting Life on Criterion Channel, The Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV, Plex, and Tubi TV, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.