On Wednesday, ESPN announced that they’d be airing an alternate version of The Last Dance on ESPN2 at the same time as the premiere on ESPN. The only difference? The ESPN2 version will be censored for language.
Here’s the note, via ESPN.
To maintain the authenticity of interviews and footage throughout the upcoming documentary series “The Last Dance,” ESPN will air two versions of the highly anticipated 10-part project about Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls. A version containing strong adult language will air on ESPN (TV-MA) while an alternate option edited for that language will air simultaneously on ESPN2 (TV-14-L).
In reality, this is a fine way to pump the viewership for The Last Dance. It’s not as if ESPN2 has any other pressing content to air right now, so simulcasting The Last Dance on the network is a common sense move. And in case viewers will inevitably get upset about their (or their children’s) ears being dirtied with salty language, there’s a broadcast that will work out just fine for them.
The Last Dance premieres on Sunday, April 19th at 9 PM ET with the first two episodes in the series, with future episodes premiering two at a time on Sunday, also at 9 PM ET, with an encore of the previous two episodes at 7 PM ET.
About Joe Lucia
I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.