Lakers: Playoff Series vs. Warriors Reached Historic Viewership

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers - Game Six

(Photo : Kevork Djansezian / Stringer) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - LeBron James (#6) of the Los Angeles Lakers is defended by Draymond Green (#23) of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. lakers eliminated the Warriors, 122-101.

The much-anticipated matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors has attracted considerable interest, attracting a large viewership across multiple networks.

With an average of 7.8 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT, it has become the most-watched Conference Semifinals series in 27 years. The first game of the series alone recorded 7.4 million viewers, setting a new record as the most-watched Game 1 of the Conference Semifinals in cable television history.

Lakers' Potential for Another Championship Title

The Lakers' odds of winning the championship have also gained attention, as they are ranked third among several NBA betting sites. This recognition reflects the team's potential to clinch the title.

Game 3 of the Lakers-Warriors series further heightened the excitement, attracting an average of 8.3 million viewers and peaking at 9.7 million. This game marked the most-watched Game 3 of a Conference Semifinals series since 1999.

Additionally, Game 4 continued to captivate audiences with 7.5 million viewers, becoming the most-watched Conference Semifinals Game 4 on any network since 2012.

This represented an impressive 18% increase compared to the previous year. Notably, it ranked among the top three programs for adults under 50, as reported by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports U.S. Public Relations.

Game 5 maintained the momentum, attracting 7.5 million viewers and becoming the most-watched Game 5 of a Conference Semifinals series on any network in the past 11 years. It was the highest-rated program on television throughout the entire day.

Looking back at last season, the NBA Play-In game between the Lakers and the Warriors, which aired exclusively on ESPN, garnered an average audience of 5,618,000 viewers, peaking at 6,149,000 viewers.

This game represented a significant increase of 190% compared to the 2020 NBA Play-In on ABC, making it the most-watched NBA game on ESPN since the 2019 Western Conference Finals.

Notably, the matchup between the Lakers and the Warriors on March 5, aired on ABC, drew nearly 4 million viewers, establishing itself as the largest non-Christmas regular season NBA audience on any network in the past four years.