Christmas Day viewership numbers are in, and the NFL has solidified its dominance over the NBA, despite LeBron James’ declaration that the holiday belongs to basketball.
The two Christmas Day NFL games on Netflix not only drew record-breaking audiences but also left the NBA’s five-game slate trailing far behind in the ratings.
The Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 win over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million viewers, while the Kansas City Chiefs’ 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers brought in 24.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s early figures released on Thursday.
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Both games set new records as the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history.
By contrast, the NBA’s five Christmas Day games averaged just 5.25 million viewers per game.
The NFL vs NBA Christmas Day numbers are out.
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/TkOFZXZWJ4
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 27, 2024
Combined, the total audience for all five NBA games barely surpassed the viewership of each individual NFL game.
This year marked a significant shift for the NFL, as both games were streamed exclusively on Netflix, requiring a subscription to watch.
Despite the exclusivity, the NFL games outperformed the NBA’s slate, which aired on both ESPN and ABC, offering a broader potential audience.
NFL and NBA viewership numbers for their Christmas games:
NFL (Netflix):
– Chiefs-Steelers: 24.1M
– Ravens-Texans: 24.3MNBA:
– Knicks-Spurs: 4.9M
– Celtics-76ers: 5.1M
– Timberwolves-Mavs: 4.3M
– Lakers-Warriors: 7.7M
– Nuggets-Suns: 3.8MNumbers weren’t… pic.twitter.com/xx7DUkcTt4
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 27, 2024
Hans Schroeder, executive vice president of NFL Media, expressed satisfaction with the results. “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,” Schroeder said.
Sixty-five million Americans—nearly 20% of the population—watched at least one minute of one of the NFL games, according to Nielsen.
While the NFL games were blowouts, the NBA slate featured closer, more competitive matchups.
Still, the NBA’s viewership numbers were significantly lower.
Even with an 84% increase in Christmas Day ratings compared to last year, the NBA remains far behind the NFL in capturing holiday audiences.
Last year’s NBA Christmas games saw lower viewership in part because three of the five games were broadcast exclusively on cable.
This year, all five games aired on ABC, a network with broader reach.
Additionally, last year’s NBA night game competed with an NFL game, while this year’s aired without direct competition.
These factors make the NBA’s reported viewership growth less significant than it appears.
Following his Los Angeles Lakers’ Christmas Day win over the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James claimed the holiday as basketball’s domain. “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” James said.
LeBron James: “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.” pic.twitter.com/aYGNODI5ud
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 26, 2024
Schroeder, responding to James’ statement, noted the NFL’s focus on its own success. “The numbers speak for themselves, and LeBron can have his own view,” Schroeder said.
While the NBA attempts to frame its Christmas Day ratings as a resurgence, the comparison to the NFL makes the gap clear.
The NFL’s dominance extends not just to in-game action but also to how it captures and retains the attention of American audiences.
For now, Christmas Day firmly belongs to the NFL, as it continues to outperform other sports leagues on the biggest stages.
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