New York ? ABC won a network bidding war to acquire the rights to a documentary about Michael Jackson and immediately scheduled it for prime time on Feb. 7.

The documentary, “Living with Michael Jackson,” features “unprecedented and exclusive access to Jackson’s private life,” according to ABC.

British journalist Martin Bashir spent eight months with Jackson and was with him when Jackson horrified onlookers by dangling his baby from a hotel balcony in Berlin, the network said.

While Jackson is no longer the king of pop music — as he calls himself — he has a proven track record as a television draw.

Some 25.7 million viewers tuned into “Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special” in November 2001 on CBS; viewership increased every half-hour for the program, culled from tapes of a Madison Square Garden tribute concert appearance. Previous interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer also attracted big audiences.

CBS, NBC and Fox were also reportedly interested in the documentary, which was produced by Britain’s Granada Television, but the bidding battle came down to ABC and NBC.