The NBA Shines on Christmas Day Amid Increased Competition and Declining Ratings
After an exhilarating Christmas Day of NBA basketball, Lebron James addressed the nation following the Laker’s buzzer-beating win with a defiant proclamation:
“I love the NFL,” James said. “But Christmas is our day.”
The NBA superstar was referring to the National Football League’s decision to schedule games on Christmas again this year, with the Kansas City Chiefs squaring off against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Houston Texans. Unlike the NBA, whose Christmas games are played on ABC and ESPN, the NFL slate was confined to streaming, where they aired on Netflix.
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
While many worried that the NFL would overshadow the NBA on basketball’s biggest day, the ratings proved that there was room for both sports on Christmas.
The NBA Delivers Strong Christmas Ratings
The NBA’s slate of Christmas games averaged 5.2 million viewers per game across ABC and ESPN, the league’s best figure in five years.
The game between James’s Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors averaged 7.76 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA regular season game in five years.
Photo: ESPN
Overall, the NBA slate was up 84% over 2023.
The NFL Found Success on Netflix
The NFL, meanwhile, averaged 24.2 million viewers on Netflix, with the Ravens/Texans game slightly outdrawing the Chiefs and Steelers.
“The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this,” Hans Schroeder, executive vice president of NFL Media told ESPN. “But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years.”
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
While it is perhaps unsurprising that the NFL delivered Christmas Day ratings, the NBA’s viewership numbers were essential.
A Banner Day
So far this year, the league’s ratings have plummeted as concerns about product quality have increased. In its darkest hour, the NBA needed to shine on Christmas. Thankfully, it did just that.
NBA Top Shot
Going forward, the NBA will likely continue to share the Christmas spotlight with the NFL. As this week proved, however, the more the merrier.
