Dolly Parton tribute draws nearly 5 million total viewers on ABC and Disney+
A live television tribute to Dolly Parton drew nearly 5 million total viewers across ABC and Disney+, according to DGE Press. The special, "CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton," aired on Wednesday, October 21. The total counts people who watched on both platforms.
The Country Music Association co-presented the show with ABC. It was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live, so the evening ran in real time rather than as a recording edited later.
The line-up included Reba McEntire, who took part in the tribute itself. Oprah Winfrey and Sabrina Carpenter each contributed a video tribute, while Julia Roberts paid tribute to Parton during the broadcast. The show's set list ran to 14 songs.
The evening also raised money. ABC said the special helped raise $1 million for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the children's book programme Parton founded, which mails free books to young children. The donation figure comes from ABC's own account of the broadcast.
For anyone who missed the live broadcast, the special is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu, according to ABC. That makes it one of the few live tributes that can be watched at home on demand after it has aired.
