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UNC Basketball in the NBA: ‘The Last Dance’ shatters ESPN record for premiere

By Zack Pearson

SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES: In this 14 June 1998 file photo, Michael Jordan (L) holds the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy and former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson holds the NBA champions Larry O'Brian trophy 14 June after winning game six of the NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The Bulls won the game 87-86 to take their sixth NBA championship. Jackson left the Bulls following the 1998 season and 12 January reports indicate that Jordan plans to announce his retirement at a 13 January news conference in Chicago. AFP PHOTO/FILES/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES: In this 14 June 1998 file photo, Michael Jordan (L) holds the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy and former Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson holds the NBA champions Larry O'Brian trophy 14 June after winning game six of the NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The Bulls won the game 87-86 to take their sixth NBA championship. Jackson left the Bulls following the 1998 season and 12 January reports indicate that Jordan plans to announce his retirement at a 13 January news conference in Chicago. AFP PHOTO/FILES/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /
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The numbers for “The Last Dance” are in and it shattered an ESPN record for a documentary, a good start for the 10-part series.

With no live sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the programming on television outside of the NFL Draft and some old replays has been limited.

But last week the first two episodes of the 10-part documentary in ESPN’s 30-for-30 series “The Last Dance” premiered on ESPN and it was something not only new but refreshing as well. With an original air date of June 2nd, ESPN decided to move it up to April 19th as it will air two episodes every week for five-straight weeks.

If the remaining eight episodes do anything close to what the first two did, then it will be in great shape.

According to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, the first two episodes did very well in the premiere. Episode 1 averaged 6.3 million viewers and Episode 2 averaged 5.8 million viewers:

The numbers were a record for an ESPN documentary, blowing away “You Don’t Know Bo” which had 3.6 million viewers.

In addition to that, the premiere did very well in the age range of 18 to 49-year-olds, grabbing 3.5 million. That’s pretty damn impressive.

“The Last Dance” tells the story of Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team that completed their second three-peat. The team was split up after that as Michael Jordan decided to retire and Phil Jackson was in his last season. Episode 3 will air Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT and focus on Dennis Rodman with Episode 4 airing right after at 10 p.m. EST.

Next. Twitter reacted to Roy Williams, Dean Smith in The Last Dance. dark

For more on Jordan and The Last Dance, please check back with Keeping It Heel.

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