Apart from newly ecstatic fans of the UFC, the first sporting event to recommence (with virtual audiences only of course) after the coronavirus brought professional competitive sports to a halt in late March, fans are desperately looking to fill that void. So the timing couldn’t have been more opportune for a documentary series celebrating basketball legend Michael Jordan to appear. Comprised of 10 one-hour-long episodes, the series was originally slated to air timed to the NBA finals this June, but, for a more immediate fix, was bumped up so viewers could watch The Last Dance online two months earlier.
The miniseries, directed by Jason Hehir, features exclusive footage and insights into Jordan’s career as well as his Chicago Bull teammates while focusing mainly on the championship season of 1997-1998, when Jordan was named MVP for the fifth time. The appeal of the show, surging with inspirational energy and human drama, has extended far beyond basketball fans, with viewership numbers as massive as the critical acclaim it has been receiving. The ESPN doc has already pulled in its largest-ever audience tallies for a documentary to date. And those numbers will surely surge even higher with the final two episodes now available, allowing viewers to settle in and absorb The Last Dance in its binge-ready entirety.
Created By: Jason Hehir
Cast: Dennis Rodman, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan
Number of Seasons: 1
How To Watch The Last Dance Online In The U.S.
Watching The Last Dance online couldn’t be easier — the entire miniseries is available on ESPN’s website, along with the alternate censored versions that aired on ESPN2. There is a catch, though: You’ll need a cable subscription to view them. The list is extensive, so we recommend heading over to ESPN to see what’s on the list before signing up for a new service. If you do need to sign up for something new, we recommend taking out a one-week free trial of Hulu + Live TV to stream it without handing over so much as a dime.
While regular Hulu subscribers on the $6 or $12 tier don’t have to access The Last Dance, they can consider upgrading to the bundle option including Live TV (a rather hefty $55 per month), which offers access to over 60 on-demand channels as well as live ones, with the option to record. For new subscribers, Hulu offers a free one-week trial to that bundle. But beware, this option — similar to the Disney+ Bundle, which includes sister streaming sites Disney+ and ESPN+ — only allows for Hulu’s limited-ad option.
Another option for watching The Last Dance online is through Sling TV. The massive service, owned by Dish Network, is known for providing huge selections of free movies and shows to nonmembers, and free hardware, like AirTV Minis, Amazon Fire TV Sticks, and HD antennas, to bundle-offer subscribers for monthly fees spanning anywhere from $30 to $149. Sling’s special deals are constantly changing, and free trials come and go in the blink of an eye.
ESPN produced The Last Dance in collaboration with Netflix, where it can currently only be streamed outside of the U.S. The series will be made available to this country’s subscribers beginning July 19.
