Impressed With Michael Jordan’s 30,000,000 Viewership, Novak Djokovic Looks to Emulate Last Dance’s Success: “Been Shooting For Years”

Novak Djokovic, the world-renowned Serbian tennis player, is aiming to replicate the success of Michael Jordan‘s documentary series, “The Last Dance.” With nearly 30,000,000 viewers worldwide, “The Last Dance” became ESPN’s highest-rated docuseries. Djokovic expressed his admiration for the project, highlighting his desire to create a similar documentary about his own career. In a recent statement, Djokovic mentioned the shooting process that has spanned several years and expressed hope for a documentary that captures the essence of his journey. 

“The Last Dance” premiered during a time when the world was devoid of live sporting events, and its structured format captivated audiences globally. Djokovic, inspired by the documentary’s triumph, now aims to provide tennis fans with an in-depth look into his life and career, mirroring the impact of “The Last Dance.”

Novak Djokovic wants to structure his docu-series based on Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance”

In a recent conversation with the Serbian press following his first-round victory at Wimbledon, Djokovic shed light on the progress of his long-awaited documentary. He mentioned that while he had initially anticipated its release by the end of 2021 or 2022, the project had experienced delays due to the multitude of ongoing events in his career. Djokovic emphasized the importance of developing a comprehensive plan to ensure the documentary’s quality and suitability for audiences. 

“I don’t have the date, I’m anxious to see it. I watched Michael Jordan’s ‘The Last Dance,’ 10 episodes with each episode lasting 50 minutes. We’ve been shooting for years, hopefully, we can do something similar.”

Referring to Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance,” Djokovic cited the ten-episode series, each lasting 50 minutes, as a benchmark for his own documentary. He highlighted the extensive footage that has been amassed over the years, indicating a substantial amount of material to be included. Djokovic expressed his excitement to witness the documentary’s completion while also acknowledging the necessity of patience to deliver the best possible outcome.

Jordan’s “The Last Dance” becomes most viewed documentary on ESPN

“The Last Dance” achieved unprecedented success, drawing an average viewership of 5.6 million across its ten episodes and outperforming all previous ESPN documentaries. The penultimate episode attracted 5.9 million viewers, marking a 10% increase from the previous week and becoming the series’ third most-watched episode. The premiere and the third episode held the top spots with 6.3 million and 6.1 million viewers, respectively.

Interestingly, the finale experienced a slight decline, garnering 5.4 million viewers. The documentary’s first two episodes even surpassed ESPN’s 2012 film “You Don’t Know Bo,” which had an average viewership of 3.6 million, making them the most-watched original content broadcasts on ESPN since 2004.

Beyond the United States, “The Last Dance” resonated with international basketball fans, with Netflix reporting that 23.8 million households outside the U.S. watched the documentary in its first four weeks on the platform. Netflix’s metric of measuring viewership is different from traditional TV ratings, focusing on member accounts that watched at least two minutes of content.

Nonetheless, the documentary’s popularity transcended borders, reflecting the global appeal of Michael Jordan and the ’90s Chicago Bulls team.

Inspired by the incredible viewership numbers and the impact of “The Last Dance,” Djokovic seeks to create a documentary that captivates tennis enthusiasts worldwide. With an extensive collection of footage gathered over the years, Djokovic aims to provide an in-depth exploration of his career, similar to the comprehensive portrayal of Michael Jordan’s iconic journey.