Jeff Pearlman, the author of the book that HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty adapted, is extremely concerned about the show’s future. As a sports drama, Winning Time is primarily focused on exploring the journey that the Lakers took from 1979 and on as they rose to become a dynasty within the National Basketball Association. Winning Time season 2 is currently ongoing, but chances for a season 3 appear to be dire.
The ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes appear to be wreaking havoc on the future of Winning Time. To preserve the chance of a season 3, Pearlman took to Twitter to seek audience help that can keep the show alive.
With Winning Time struggling to improve its viewing numbers, the show is in danger of failing to earn a season 3 renewal. In exchange for some additional support from its existing audience, Pearlman is offering in-depth looks at the behind-the-scenes events that came with making the series. He intends to create a new video every day, but he preempted the story with a request for audiences to recommend the show to others. Check out his quote below:
This show needs your help. It needs views. It is not getting promoted well. I’m just being honest. I don’t know why. HBO Max, whatever. It’s a little confusing, but we need views. Consider telling your friends it’s a great show, blah blah.
Can Winning Time Earn A Season 3?
While the Lakers dynasty may have enjoyed unprecedented success, thanks to Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the rest of its historic players, Winning Time has not been quite so lucky. HBO will likely not approve Winning Time season 3 if the series fails to pick up its viewership. Unfortunately, limited marketing has been hurting the show’s viewership, and the series has not yet been able to gain traction through word-of-mouth, as the first two episodes of season 2 have failed to crack the 0.2 million viewer mark, a far cry from the season 1 finale’s 0.535 million.
With Pearlman actively reaching out to the fanbase for support, future seasons are unlikely. Winning Time will need to massively increase its viewership numbers, which it may struggle to do. Warner Bros. Discovery lost millions of subscribers after rebranding HBO Max to Max. The extreme losses cannot be helping Winning Time, which, according to Pearlman, is struggling to find an audience even after a relatively successful season 1.
Winning Time season 2 is also being released two months after the end of the 2023 NBA Finals and months before the start of the next season. While it could benefit from offering NBA supporters content while they await the next season, the show risked falling at a time when interest in the NBA gives way to other sports throughout the offseason. Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty needs additional support, but it appears to be missing its shot.
