- When: 9pm ET, and 10pm ET, Sunday, April 19
- Broadcast: ESPN (with “clean” version on ESPN2)
- Streaming: Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, AT&T TV Now, Vidgo, YouTube TV
- Streaming outside the U.S.: Netflix (starting Monday, April 20 at 12:01am)
The long-awaited Chicago Bulls documentary, The Last Dance, debuts on ESPN on Sunday, April 19 with its first two of 10 episodes. The series covers the 1997-98 championship season, which was the sixth and final in Michael Jordan’s incredible run. ESPN will air two episodes each Sunday for five weeks, concluding on May 17.
Starting on April 29, the prior two episodes will air at 7pm and 8pm ET before the new episodes air at 9pm and 10pm ET.
As ESPN notes, “The Bulls allowed an NBA Entertainment crew to follow the team around for that entire season, and some of that never-before-seen footage will be featured in the documentary. In addition, ESPN spoke to more than 100 people close to the team and personalities who experienced the run, exploring all angles of the Jordan phenomenon.”
The documentary, anticipated since it was announced nearly two years ago, was initially scheduled for June to coincide with the 2020 NBA Finals. The ongoing pandemic spurred ESPN to speed up the timeline to give basketball fans some much-needed content.
Note that the original version of the documentary version — complete with the occasional swear word — airs on ESPN, with a clean version on ESPN2 (reportedly with swear words bleeped out) in case you want to watch without having to earmuff any kids who are nearby.
HOW TO STREAM ‘THE LAST DANCE’
Stream ‘The Last Dance’ Live: How to watch the Chicago Bulls documentary on ESPN and ESPN2
1) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its broad spectrum of offerings, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
2) Sling TV
- Sling TV pricing: $30-$45 per month ($10 off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, Microsoft Edge, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Sling TV provides two base channel package options, each priced at $30 per month. Sling Orange includes three ESPN channels, while Sling Blue includes sports channels like NBCSN (where many Premier League matches appear), NFL Network, and local channels. (Sling Blue customers in select markets get NBC, where some matches appear; see if yours has it here.) Sling Blue also brings Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Headline News as part of its regular slate of channels, with Fox Business Channel available for those who get the Sling Blue News Extra add-on.
If you’re Team “Why Not Both,” Sling Orange + Blue combines the two for just $45 per month.
Other features include a Free Cloud DVR tier for all subscribers (allowing 10 hours of recording a month), the ability to record all live linear channels, and no VOD preemption on any channels. New subscribers get $10 off the first month.
To add BeIN Sports and ESPN Deportes and maximize your soccer-watching potential, you’ll want to add either Sports Extra: Sling Orange ($5 per month) or Sports Extra: Sling Blue ($10 per month). (The latter also includes NFL RedZone.)
Spanish-speaking viewers have quite a few options. For bilingual families, you might consider the Español: Best of Spanish TV package for either Sling Orange or Sling Blue for 24/7 specialty channel LaLiga TV and beIN SPORTS Connect: Channels 4-9, which features matches from La Liga, Ligue 1 and Copa del Rey, among others. Both packages cost $5 per month after your free trial. Sling TV Latino is another Spanish-language package for $10 per month, including NBC Universo, History en Español, and—of import to soccer fans—four beIN SPORTS channels. (And choosing Best of Spanish + Sling Orange for $35 per month gives you access to ESPN Deportes.) For more information, check out our guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.
3) AT&T TV Now
- Cost: $65-$135 per month
- AT&T TV Now devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
AT&T TV Now is a bonus for AT&T wireless customers, especially for those who happen to be soccer fans. It provides instant access to more than 45 channels, including local channels. That means NBC as well as NBCSN for Premier League action, Fox as well as FS1 and FS2 for MLS, Bundesliga, the U.S. men’s and women’s teams, and even Liga MX offerings, and ESPN and ESPN2 for its array of soccer and other sports programming. It even offers free HBO on PLUS and MAX channel suites. Plus, it comes with CloudDVR for up to 20 hours of TV recording per month. One account works on two devices, but you can add more devices for only $5.
4) Vidgo
- Cost: $14.99-24.99 or $39.99-$49.99 per month
- Vidgo devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
Vidgo offers a package for under $40 a month that pulls together more than 60 English-language channels into its National English Package, including ABC, Fox, the ESPN family of channels (including ESPN Deportes), FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes and BeIN Sports, for sports fans. It offers an array of entertainment favorites, including A&E, HGTV, History, Lifetime, and a full range of Nickelodeon channels, including TeenNick and NickToons.
College sports fans will love it, too: The ACCN, Big Ten Network, the Longhorn Network, and Pac-12 Network are all on the Core package, and for $10 more, the Plus package offers all six market-specific Pac-12 Networks.
If you just want your Vidgo en Español, it features programming from throughout the Americas and even Spain in two skinny packages. Both the Latino Streaming Plan ($14.99 per month) and Latino Mas Streaming Plan ($24.99 per month) include BeIN’s main Spanish-language channel, TyC Sports, and Azteca America, while the higher tier adds DAZN, Fox Deportes, and ESPN Deportes.
Also, through its Vidgo app, it’s offering the option of Social TV, which allows Vidgo users to connect in real-time as they’re watching programming on their phones.
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for soccer fans, including TNT for Champions League matches, NBC and NBCSN for Premier League matches, and broadcasting partnerships with three MLS teams. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
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