‘The Last Dance’ finishes strong in viewership

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