Event though The NBA’s Christmas ratings improved 84%, the league continues to struggle for audiences.
The NBA faced a stark reminder of its struggle to compete with the NFL’s dominance as Christmas Day TV ratings revealed a significant gap between the two sports. While basketball has long held a tradition of showcasing games on December 25, the NFL’s presence on the holiday, though historically sporadic, has gained consistent traction since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
This year, football decisively outshone basketball in viewership, leaving the NBA trailing behind. Adding to the tension, fans have increasingly directed criticism toward Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, further highlighting challenges for the league during its marquee holiday slate.
NFL vs NBA ratings on Christmas day
On Christmas Day, a time traditionally associated with NBA games, 39-year-old LeBron James confidently proclaimed, “Christmas is our day,” anticipating a dominant showing for his sport. However, the numbers painted a starkly different picture.
The NBA averaged 5.25 million viewers per game nationwide, with the matchup between LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers and Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors peaking at 8.32 million viewers. While this marked an impressive 84% increase from 2023, it was overshadowed by the NFL’s performance. The two Christmas Day football games streamed by Netflix averaged a staggering 24.1 million viewers, with Nielsen data showing that 65 million people tuned in for at least 60 seconds.
The dramatic disparity prompted football fans to mock LeBron and the NBA. One Instagram user commented, “And LeBron said that Christmas belongs to the NBA lol. NFL got that wrapped up.” Another jabbed, “Maybe if LeBron play more and talk less them ratings would be different.” A third simply added, “Didn’t LeBron say the NBA owned Christmas? lol.“
For now, the NFL has clearly secured its position as the dominant force in holiday sports viewership.
