Kevin Costner and Chadwick Boseman’s Underrated Football Gem Just Dropped Free to Stream
Draft Day, Ivan Reitman’s overlooked 2014 NFL drama starring Kevin Costner, Chadwick Boseman, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary, and Frank Langella, is now streaming free—your cue to dive into the cutthroat chaos of draft night.
Here’s a freebie worth a click: Lionsgate just dropped the full Kevin Costner/Chadwick Boseman football drama 'Draft Day' on YouTube. If you missed it back in 2014 or you’re in the mood for some front-office chaos, it’s now a no-cost stream.
Where to watch
Lionsgate Movies uploaded the entire film to its official YouTube channel, so you can watch the whole thing there right now.
What it’s about (and why it’s juicier than you remember)
Set over the most stressful 24 hours in pro football, 'Draft Day' follows Sonny Weaver Jr., the Cleveland Browns general manager, as he juggles every possible fire at once: his partner is pregnant, the team owner is circling his job, and he just made a blockbuster trade with Seattle to grab their first-round pick. Almost immediately, he’s second-guessing whether he just saved his franchise or drove it into a ditch. It’s very much a war-room drama with personal stakes baked in, not just highlight reels and pep talks.
Who’s in it
- Kevin Costner as Sonny Weaver Jr., Browns GM
- Chadwick Boseman as Vontae Mack
- Jennifer Garner as Ali Parker
- Denis Leary as Coach Vince Penn
- Frank Langella as Anthony Molina
- Terry Crews as Earl Jennings
- Sam Elliott as Coach Moore
- ...and a bunch of familiar faces popping in and out of the draft-day scramble
The reception (moderate critics, modest money)
Critics were fine with it, not ecstatic: it sits at 60% on Rotten Tomatoes from 159 reviews. Audience score is a bit warmer at 65% on the Popcornmeter. Box office wasn’t much to cheer about either — roughly $29.8 million worldwide on an estimated $25 million budget. Not a disaster, not a hit. Which is kind of perfect for a movie that’s quietly grown a fanbase over time.
A final note on Ivan Reitman
'Draft Day' ended up being the last film Ivan Reitman directed before he passed away in 2022 at age 75. Beyond his producer credits, he’s the filmmaker behind a run of comedy staples: 'Ghostbusters' (1984), 'Ghostbusters II' (1989), 'Meatballs' (1979), 'Stripes' (1981), 'Kindergarten Cop' (1990), 'Father’s Day' (1997), 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend' (2006), and 'No Strings Attached' (2011). 'Draft Day' isn’t a comedy, but it’s got that clean, crowd-pleasing Reitman touch — quick pace, smart casting, and enough heart to cut through all the spreadsheets and playbooks.
The bottom line
If you like sports movies that live in the GM’s office instead of the end zone, this one’s your lane. And now it’s free. Hard to beat that value on a slow night.