The controversy surrounding the documentary Leaving Neverland has proven to be a recipe for ratings success over at HBO. The polarizing Michael Jackson doc pulled in solid numbers for the premium cable network.
The documentary, which tells the story of two boys, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, now in their 30s, who say they were sexually abused by Jackson when they were children, drew a 0.4 rating and 1.3 million viewers for Part 1, which aired Sunday night, according to Live+ same day Nielsen. That made it the third most-watched documentary in the last decade for HBO, excluding music concert films, behind Going Clear and the Prison of Belief, and Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.
Going Clear debuted to around 1.7 million viewers, and Bright Lights brought in 1.6 million for its initial airing. With an additional day of delayed viewing, including streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now, Part 1 viewership increased to 1.7 million by Tuesday night.
Part 2 of the documentary was down from Part 1 but was still strong with a 0.3 rating and 927,000 viewers in its initial airing. The second part aired on Monday night and was followed by Oprah Winfrey’s follow-up special, Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland. That special drew about 780,000 viewers for HBO and also was simulcast on OWN.
