Even in death, Michael Jackson continues to Moonwalk over the naysayers.
As widely reported, a HBO documentary aired earlier this year that some felt would dent the legacy of the legend. A documentary the singer’s Estate branded a “mockumentary,” before launching legal proceedings against the cable network.
And while that wrangle is still on-going, MJ seems to have netted the win in the court of public opinion.
See what we mean below…
According to Billboard, streams of the singer’s music have actually increased since the broadcast of the doc. So much so that the growth (22.1% up from earlier period) is actually outpacing the overall industry trend towards streaming (21.8%).
When diving into the data, beyond the intensified media spotlight on Jackson, the increase in streams may be part attributable to the slight dip in radio play in the 31-weeks that followed the doc. For, his average of 14,000 US spins per week dropped to 11,000 post broadcast.
A stat which, when paired with the uptick in streams, suggests folk are finding their own way to listen to his music.
The public embrace of Jackson’s output bodes well for his Estate, who recently announced the 2020 debut of a new Broadway show, ‘MJ.’ The production forms part of the bigger business of the legend’s posthumous push; a push which has generated a whopping $1.7 Billion since the start of this year.