Much like the 1990s Bulls themselves, ESPN’s “The Last Dance” finished strong, averaging 5.6 million viewers Sunday for the last two episodes of the 10-part series. It’s the network’s most-watched documentary, also with an average of 5.6 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen research.
Episode 9 on Sunday night averaged 5.9 million viewers, and the finale averaged 5.4 million, combining for a 10% increase from the previous week. Episode 1 drew the most viewers in the series, averaging 6.3 million. The only other episode to exceed 6 million was the third at 6.1.
The series’ viewership surpassed “You Don’t Know Bo” (3.6 million overall), which aired in 2012.
In Chicago, the last two episodes earned a 12.5 rating, well ahead of Greensboro, North Carolina, which was at 5.5. Chicago also was the No. 1 market for the entire series, averaging a 12.0 rating.
Viewership numbers for original airings:
Episode 1: 6.3 million
Episode 2: 5.8 million
Episode 3: 6.1 million
Episode 4: 5.7 million
Episode 5: 5.8 million
Episode 6: 5.2 million
Episode 7: 5.3 million
Episode 8: 4.9 million
Episode 9: 5.9 million
Episode 10: 5.4 million