His Airness has just taken the throne from Tiger King. And since Netflix is airing both documentaries (at least outside the US), it’s a win-win for the streaming giant.
Global data research firm Parrot Analytics announced that The Last Dance has become the most in-demand series in the world. In a press release, the firm said, “Demand for The Last Dance grew 1,227% in the US and 2,299% globally compared to the previous week.”
According to Bloomberg, the sports documentary has overtaken the previous documentary contender in the list, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness.
During its premiere week, “the series had 37.2 times more demand than the average TV series in the US, and 30 times more demand than the average series globally,” continued the firm.
Netflix is notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to exact viewership numbers. However, their co-production partner, ESPN (which holds the broadcast rights in the US), has been more generous with figures: it premiered in the States with an average of 6.1 million viewers, and its recent rollout of episodes 3 and 4 averaged 5.9 million viewers.
It’s a good season in general for sports docus, said Parrot Analytics’ partnerships director Steve Langdon. “We are tracking a rise in demand for sports documentaries during the coronavirus pandemic,” he wrote in a statement.
He added: “This series provides the perfect outlet during the coronavirus lockdown, as it bridges the gap for both viewers missing live sports – particularly the NBA Playoffs which would normally be happening right now – and those seeking nostalgic comfort viewing.”
In addition, Parrot Analytics also revealed that viewers are also hungry for ‘familiar fare’ — citing shows like Mad Men and The Office as series that have seen an increase in demand.
According to its official page, Parrot Analytics tracks over 1.5 billion “expressions of demand” in over 200 countries.
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