NBA Christmas Games Draw 5.25 Million Viewers, But NFL Still Dominates Holiday Ratings
The NBA’s Christmas Day showcase pulled in solid numbers, averaging 5.25 million viewers across five games on ABC and ESPN. But even with star power and dramatic finishes, basketball’s biggest regular season stage couldn’t touch football’s grip on holiday viewers.
The Lakers-Warriors matchup was the day’s biggest draw. LeBron James facing off against Steph Curry brought in nearly 8 million viewers, peaking at 8.45 million as the Lakers squeaked out a 115-113 win.
“Christmas is our day,” LeBron declared after the game. But the numbers tell a different story – NFL games averaged a massive 65 million U.S. viewers.
The NBA’s holiday lineup featured some memorable moments. French phenom Victor Wembanyama made his Christmas debut at Madison Square Garden, while other matchups included Nuggets-Suns, Timberwolves-Mavericks, and Sixers-Celtics.
NFL executive Hans Schroeder couldn’t resist responding to James’ claim. “The numbers speak for themselves,” he said. “LeBron can have his own view, but we’re thrilled with our results, especially with our new Netflix partnership.”
The Christmas ratings discussion comes at a tough time for the NBA. The league has seen viewership drop 28% this season on ESPN, according to Front Office Sports.
Kevin Durant, fresh off a Christmas win with Phoenix, pushed back against placing blame on players.
“It’s a weird dialogue around the league and viewership,” Durant said. “Something that big, it’s not just one component in why it’s going that way.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sees streaming as the future. “We’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than traditional television,” he explained. Starting next season, every NBA game will be available on streaming platforms.
That shift might help the league reach younger viewers. But for now, when it comes to owning Christmas Day television, the NFL clearly has the upper hand.
