'The Last Dance' Premiere Sets ESPN Documentary Record With 6.1 Million Viewers

The 10-part documentary on MJ's Bulls became the most-watched documentary in ESPN history.

The first two episodes of The Last Dance averaged 6.1 million viewers on Sunday, marking the highest-rated documentary content in ESPN history, according to a network release.

The 10-part documentary detailing Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls began to air on Sunday night, with the first episode released at 9 p.m. ET. The first episode generated an average of 6.3 million viewers, and the figure dipped to 5.8 million viewers for the second episode. The pair of episodes mark the highest-rated ESPN telecast since the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game. 

The Last Dance had been highly-anticipated prior to Sunday's debut, and the discussion of episodes 1 and 2 continued through Monday morning. Bulls forward Scottie Pippen took the spotlight in the second episode, and former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause was a notable figure throughout. 

Didn't take long for the Knicks to be embarrassed in #TheLastDance

(via @SLAMonline)pic.twitter.com/Q9BTyo3rXn

— SI Media (@SISportsMedia) April 20, 2020

Episodes 3 and 4 of The Last Dance will air on Sunday, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.