NBA Christmas viewership pales next to NFL: 24M viewers for one game vs. 5 NBA matchups at 26M

NFL dominates; NBA rebounds strong

The NFL stole the show on Christmas, even with the NBA putting up solid numbers. Let’s face it, Christmas used to be the NBA’s day. LeBron James himself joked, “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.” Not anymore.

Netflix’s first-ever Christmas partnership with the NFL crushed records. Over 65 million U.S. viewers tuned in for at least one minute, with the Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 win over the Houston Texans drawing 24.3 million on average. The Kansas City Chiefs’ 29-10 victory over the Steelers? Just shy of that at 24.1 million. And Beyoncé’s halftime show? Peak Beyoncé—27 million people glued to their screens. Numbers don’t lie.

For comparison's sake, here is the average viewership per game on Christmas Day:

• NBA (5 games): 5.25 million
• NFL (2 games): 24.2 million

That means one NFL game had almost as many viewers (24 million) as all five NBA games combined (26 million).
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) December 26, 2024

The NBA held its ground, though. Its five-game Christmas slate averaged 5.25 million viewers—a five-year high. The Lakers’ 115-113 nail-biter over the Warriors topped the charts at 7.76 million viewers, peaking at 8.32 million. The league also leaned into social media, pulling in 500 million video views on Christmas. That’s a record. Still, it’s hard to compete with Beyoncé and the NFL’s hype.

Streaming is running the show now

This isn’t just about games. It’s about where we’re watching them. The NFL’s move to Netflix shows how leagues are chasing eyeballs wherever they are. Cable? Feels old-school. Streaming is the now. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver even admitted it: “We’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than they are on traditional television.”

NFL Christmas games draw 24m viewers
byu/Pulp_Ficti0n inNFLv2

Next season, the NBA’s upping its game—more regular-season games on TV (15 to 75), all streaming-ready. It’s clear they’re gunning for eyeballs on every screen. Smart move, but it’s still playing catch-up to the NFL’s Netflix deal.

The NFL owns the holiday season now. The NBA isn’t flopping, but it’s got work to do if it wants Christmas back. Beyoncé trending worldwide and 27 million people tuning in for halftime? Yeah, that’s hard to beat.

Image: Imagn images

NBA

NBA christmas viewership

NFL

NFL christmas viewership

Natasha Bose

I write about sports because, well, it brings in the big bucks! I’m not some lifelong analyst or stats guru, truth being told, you’ve probably never heard of me!—I just know how to research, write, and make things sound good. That’s the job!
Got into sports media the same way most people do: by (fortunate) accident. Started with SEO writing, took on a few sports gigs, and now here we are! I cover games, trades, player drama—whatever needs words.
Favorite part? The chaos. One day it’s a blockbuster trade, the next it’s a goat running onto the field. Never boring.
Message to readers: If you want deep analysis, there are people for that. If you want sharp, no-BS writing that actually makes sense, stick around.