Rapid Insights: Winning Time Shoots and Scores
Hot off the heels of the Rams’ big win comes a series about another mega-successful Los Angeles-based sports team. This upcoming limited series from HBO tells the story of the Lakers’ meteoric rise to stardom in 1980s LA. Here’s what you need to know about Winning Time:
Will this be a hit for HBO?
We predict yes! Winning Time’s trailer launch had even more online chatter than The Last Dance’s trailer launch and, in tandem with the strong story drivers, our AI is predicting “outstanding” ratings for the series on Premium Cable (131).
Will the viewing audience be overwhelmingly male?
No. In spite of the series’ heavy Sports Focus (160), both men and women (51% male / 49% female) will tune in thanks to its Celebrity (125) character-driven drama; viewership will also skew heavily older (76% 35+).
Which of the real-life Lakers will make the most compelling character?
Magic Johnson. The show’s focus on the guidance and Mentorship (141) young Magic received from the team’s owner and coach is the #1 driver for audience engagement.
Whose perspective will be more important, the players’ or the owners’?
The players’. The show’s depiction of a real-life period in American History (130)–the Lakers’ famous Showtime era–from the African-American POV (127) of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a top driver of audience engagement.
Will the 80s period setting add to the appeal?
It’s a good backdrop but isn’t what will grab eyeballs. The 1980s (108) stylings add flavor and color, but the story and character relationships provide more compelling hooks.
Which emotions will make viewers want to talk about the show?
The more upbeat, hopeful aspects. The Joy (118) and Optimism (118) felt as the underdog Lakers finally start Winning (118) are key emotions contributing to social buzz.
Methodology
Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault’s algorithms — utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside viewership performance and other datasets — to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.
