Spike's Lee's documentary Michael Jackson: Bad 25 failed to draw in viewers during its debut Thanksgiving broadcast.The documentary explores the phenomenon of Jackson's seventh studio album, which featured hits like 'Man in the Mirror', 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Dirty Diana'.
Coinciding with the 25th anniversary re-release of the album, the documentary featured interviews with Jackson collaborators, including producer Quincy Jones.
Lee, who has directed several documentaries in the past, recently described this latest one as a love letter to Michael Jackson.
Entertainment Weekly reports that the broadcast lost viewers thanks to the NFL football game which aired on NBC Thursday night (November 22) and drew in 15.9 million.
Michael Jackson: Bad 25 only managed 4.2 million viewers during its ABC telecast.
The X Factor USA came in second for the night with 9.4 million viewers, while CBS came in at third place with re-runs that attracted 6.8 million.