Winning Time Author Reacts as Chances of its Renewal for S3 Get Slimmer

Jeff Pearlman, author of the book from which HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is adapted, is highly concerned about the show’s future. 

Winning Time is a gritty sports drama highlighting the Lakers’ journey from being ‘just another team’ to becoming a perennial dynasty within the National Basketball Association. 

Winning Time season 2 is currently airing, but chances of a renewal seem microscopic.

This is primarily because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which has wreaked havoc on the industry. Thus, Pearlman takes to Twitter (now X) to seek fans’ support to rekindle Winning Time season 3’s chances.

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In the tweets, Pearlman implores the fans to support him, and in return, he promises to provide in-depth look at the behind-the-scene events that came with making the entire series.

This is because Winning Time hasn’t been a ‘hit’ by any means, and if the viewing numbers continue to trickle, the show will not be renewed for season 3.

Check his full 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. 

While the real-life Lakers enjoyed astronomical success, thanks to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and other stars, Winning Time has failed to strike that particular chord. 

This can primarily be attributed to botched marketing, resulting in limited viewership and almost non-existent word-of-mouth publicity.

Season 2’s first two episodes failed even to touch the 0.2 million viewership mark, which is paltry compared to the 0.535 million of season 1’s finale. HBO will surely not renew the show for season 3 if this trend continues.

Therefore, Winning Time faces a daunting challenge to boost its viewership numbers significantly. 

Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery suffered a huge blow when it rebranded HBO Max to Max, losing millions of subscribers in the process. This adds up to the troubles of Winning Time, which has failed to attract a large audience despite having a relatively successful first season, as Pearlman admits.

The release of Winning Time season 2 comes at an awkward time, two months after the conclusion of the 2023 NBA Finals and months before the commencement of the next season. 

While the show can provide NBA content to fans during the off-season, it also risks being ignored because of diverted interests during the hiatus. 

The show really needs to amp up its publicity game, otherwise, it will cease to exist very soon. 

About Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is an American sports drama television series created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht for HBO, based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s by Jeff Pearlman.

The first season, comprising 10 episodes, chronicles the 1980s Showtime era of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team (beginning in late 1979), featuring notable NBA stars Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

It features an ensemble cast led by John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Jason Segel, Gaby Hoffmann, Rob Morgan, and Adrien Brody. The series premiered on March 6, 2022, with the pilot episode directed by Adam McKay. In April 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on August 6, 2023.