Netflix: Who Killed the Montreal Expos? Inside the tragic downfall of the first Major League Baseball team on Netflix

Netflix's upcoming sports documentary, Who Killed the Montreal Expos?, depicts the legacy of the popular MLB team, the Montreal Expos, the first baseball team outside of the US. It also poses an important question about the relocation of the team from Canada to Washington, D.C., leaving the fans disheartened.

Till now, the people of Quebec are still reeling from the loss of their favorite baseball team. The documentary, directed by Jean-François Poisson, explores how missteps in handling the business outside the field and Quebec's financial conditions forced the team to be sold out, and they became the Washington Nationals.

With interviews from former owners, players, and supporters, Who Killed the Montreal Expos? tries to find out who was responsible for the end of a major league team that is still part of Quebec's identity.

Who Killed the Montreal Expos? Reasons behind the popular team's sudden departure

Netflix's Who Killed the Montreal Expos? depicts the rise of the baseball team as one of the best in the field and also their emotional final match on September 29, 2004, before leaving the city and the country as well. Poisson, in an interview with Netflix, revealed that while making the documentary, they learned that there were more parties and reasons responsible for the team's departure from the country. He shared:

"Quebecers, in general, tend to blame the Americans. But it’s much more complicated than that. Here’s what I can say: The Expos’ departure is definitely not the responsibility of one person alone. We were surprised to discover the different versions of the story."

The Netflix documentary explores how, in the 1980s, television contracts exploded, and the players' salaries also increased. Furthermore, it was difficult to compete with the rest of the MLB teams as the value of the Canadian dollar dropped.

The 1994 players' strike also played a role in the decline. But it was the behind-the-scenes boardroom politics that affected the future of the Montreal Expos crucially. The documentary revealed the backstabbing stories between the team's president, Claude Brochu, and other team owners, and further explored the politics behind the scenes.

During an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Poisson shared that there were several reasons behind the departure of the MLB team from Quebec and said:

"The three main reasons are the economic situation of Quebec, crumbling infrastructure and the lack of will of the provincial government. here was more than one reason."

More about Netflix's Who Killed the Montreal Expos?

Pedro Martinez in Who Killed the Montreal Expos? | Image via YouTube/Netflix

Who Killed the Montreal Expos? tells the story of the end of the Montreal Expos with interviews from previous owners and journalists such as former VP David Samson, stepson of team owner Jeffrey Loria, who came on board to save the team but also make money, and reporter Tom Verducci.

It also features archival footage of the team and interviews from Hall of Fame players and other former players such as Pedro Martínez, Larry Walker, and Vladimir Guerrero, among others.