Michael Jordan hasn’t done much winning since becoming an NBA owner, so seeing The Last Dance earn an Emmy Award as the best non-fiction series might be a little sweeter for the six-time Finals MVP.
Before the documentary began, Jordan was concerned his image might take a hit due to the depiction of his extreme competitiveness, but ultimately, he was criticized for owning editorial control of the series. Still, The Last Dance was a massive hit for ESPN, with each episode out-rating every documentary previously aired by the network. Two episodes drew more than six million viewers, with only one of the 10 failing to attract an original TV audience of more than five million.
For the Emmy Award, The Last Dance beat out Tiger King, McMillions, Hillary and American Masters. Jason Hehir, who directed the documentary, accepted the award and thanked Jordan in doing so.
“Thank you to Michael Jordan himself for giving us his time, his honesty and his candor and the other 105 people who sat down and gave their time and their honesty to make the story what it was,” Hehir said. “I hope we brought a little bit of brightness to a dark and difficult year and I hope you all stay safe and be well.”
Originally set to air in June, ESPN appeased their audience who clamored for an early release after sports were shutdown by the global pandemic. ESPN pushed the release date up by two months, premiering April 19 and continuing to show two new episodes every Sunday through May 17.
Amazingly, only three episodes were ready to go when ESPN began airing the documentary, with the finale being completed one week before its scheduled release.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
