ESPN's Michael Jordan 'The Last Dance' Averaged 5.9M Viewers for Episodes 3, 4

Episodes 3 and 4 of ESPN's documentary miniseries about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, The Last Dance, aired on Sunday night, and once again the ratings were through the roof.  

A week after the first two episodes averaged 9.2 million viewers in live and on-demand viewers, making it the most-viewed ESPN documentary ever aired, the third episode averaged 6.1 live million viewers and the fourth averaged 5.6 million live viewers. 

Why the big numbers? 

For one, sports fans are starved for content at the moment, with no live sports to watch because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Basketball fans, in particular, are hungry for something to watch, as the NBA playoffs would currently be underway in a normal year. 

Also, anything related to Michael Jordan's legendary career will intrigue sports fans, especially with so much previously unreleased footage, behind-the-scenes content and interviews with former players, coaches and executives. The Jordan Bulls were legendary, winning six titles in eight years. 

And the documentary is extremely well done, not only telling the story of the 1997-98 Bulls but also offering background stories of the key figures from that team, including Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, head coach Phil Jackson and general manager Jerry Krause, among others. 

Drama loomed over that team the entire season, with Krause telling Jackson it would be his last as the head coach and Jordan saying publicly he wouldn't play for another head coach. The Bulls had been a dynasty, but the end was looming. Pippen delayed a needed surgery and stayed away from the team well into the season, embroiled in a contract dispute. Rodman, at one point, took a Vegas vacation away from the team. 

Sunday's episodes honed in on Jackson's ascent to head coach and his ability to convince Jordan to play less hero ball and incorporate his teammates more into the offense. It also examined Rodman's career, from his time with the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons to his eccentric personality to his role on the Bulls, offering the team an elite defender and rebounder. 

It also took a deep dive on Chicago's rivalry with the Pistons in the late '80s and early '90s. The Bad Boys had eliminated Jordan and the Bulls from the postseason three straight times, beating Jordan up with physical (and the Bulls argued, dirty) play.

But Jordan had his revenge in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, finally beating the Pistons and winning his first title over the Los Angeles Lakers. Even that wasn't without its drama, however, when Isiah Thomas and the Pistons refused to shake hands after losing to the Bulls. 

Jordan and his teammates hold a grudge to this day. The Pistons and their fans have pointed out that the Boston Celtics didn't shake their hands when the Pistons first beat them. Thirty years later, the debate rages on.

And that's just another reason why The Last Dance is crushing in the ratings.