James Van Der Beek’s Classic Sports Movie Is Suddenly a Streaming Sensation After Actor’s Passing

Varsity Blues, James Van Der Beek’s 1999 football drama, has rocketed into Paramount+’s U.S. Top 10—an unexpected streaming surge 27 years after its theatrical debut.

Varsity Blues is suddenly back in the spotlight. After James Van Der Beek's passing last week, the 1999 high school football drama has muscled into the Paramount+ Top 10 in the U.S. — a late-breaking surge more than 27 years after it first hit theaters.

The surge

The film jumped to No. 5 on the Paramount+ Top 10 in the United States on February 15, 2026, per streaming analytics that track platform charts. The renewed interest follows Van Der Beek's death on February 11 at age 48 after a battle with stage three colorectal cancer.

The movie

Released January 15, 1999, and directed by Brian Robbins from a script by W. Peter Iliff, Varsity Blues is set in the football-obsessed town of West Canaan, Texas. When star quarterback Lance Harbor (Paul Walker) goes down with a serious injury, backup Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek) gets shoved under center, forced to lead the Coyotes under the suffocating glare of legendary hard-nose coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight). Mox ends up balancing a playoff push, a town that treats Friday nights like religion, and the question of whether football should define his future at all.

The cast rolls deep for a 90s sports drama: Ron Lester as Billy Bob, Richard Lineback as Joe Harbor, and Scott Caan as Charlie Tweeder, among others.

• Platform bump: No. 5 on Paramount+ in the U.S. (Feb 15, 2026)
• Released: January 15, 1999
• Director/Writer: Brian Robbins / W. Peter Iliff
• Box office: About $54 million worldwide
• Critical reception: 46% on Rotten Tomatoes from 57 reviews
• Audience reception: 76% on the Rotten Tomatoes Popcorn meter
• Key players: James Van Der Beek (Mox), Paul Walker (Lance Harbor), Jon Voight (Bud Kilmer)

Why it is climbing now

Catalog titles often spike when we collectively revisit a performer’s work, and this one was built around Van Der Beek at full blast — the swagger, the doubt, the 'I do not want your life' era of teen sports angst. Critics were lukewarm in 1999, but audiences clearly kept the torch lit, and now it is back in the conversation, pulling strong numbers on streaming.