Lakers vs. Warriors Leads Big NBA Christmas Day Ratings
Despite the hype of the NFL’s maiden voyage onto Netflix, the NBA not only held its own on Christmas but also arguably benefitted from subpar games on the gridiron.
According to Nielsen’s fast nationals (overnights), the NBA’s five holiday telecasts averaged 5.25 million viewers, with the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors tilt leading the way with 7.76 million viewers. LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry peaked at 8.32 million viewers at 10:30 p.m. ET, according to the league, and it was the most-viewed regular season NBA game in five years.
All those viewers saw an entertaining basketball contest, one that highlighted bankable stars while showcasing strong supporting cast contributions.
After Curry’s pair of 3-pointers tied the game in the final 10 seconds, Lakers wing Austin Reaves made a game-winner. Afterward, James referenced the discourse around the NBA’s competition from the NFL, which put on a rare Wednesday doubleheader but did not offer a Christmas night game like it did in 2022 and 2023.
The Lakers star said, “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day”—giving the ratings chatter that has surrounded the league even more oxygen.
The NBA’s Thursday night tally still trailed most pre-pandemic Christmas numbers, but it was a solid performer nonetheless given the competition. Past editions of Curry vs. James on Christmas have been big earners for Disney; in 2015, Cavaliers-Warriors averaged 11.17 million viewers on ABC/ESPN at 5 p.m. ET, while the following season saw the two teams draw an audience of 10.14 million viewers in the 2:30 p.m. ET window. In 2018, the Lakers-Warriors holiday matchup averaged 10.211 million in primetime.
In their traditional home game on Christmas, the New York Knicks hosted the San Antonio Spurs, and 4.91 million viewers saw Victor Wembanyama and Mikal Bridges go toe-to-toe with stellar shot-making on ABC. The Knicks’ win was the most watched Christmas Day opener since 2011 and doubled the same window in 2023. In addition to the simulcast on ESPN, the game got the animated treatment with a “Dunk the Halls” alternate cast on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+.
The Spurs/Knicks thriller was followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves’ win over the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, seen by an average audience of 4.38 million viewers. Wolves vs. Mavs was the first NBA game to fully go against the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Around 5.3 million viewers took in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 118-114 win in Boston, a game that took place as Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens ran roughshod all over the Houston Texans.
The Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets finished the evening—ending close to 1 a.m. on the East Coast—with 3.84 million viewers for the Christmas nightcap. According to the league, the Suns’ 110-100 win was the most-watched late night window game ever on the holiday.
The NBA games featured six teams in the top 10 DMAs in the country and nine teams in the top 20. (San Antonio, the smallest of the 10 markets featured, ranks 31st with 1.08 million households.) They were also wholly competitive in comparison to the NFL product, which put four teams on the field to play their third game in two weeks.
A much fuller picture of the total viewership won’t be available until Monday due to the typical delays in processing times. However, the fast nationals are directional and they’re painting a rosier outlook than recent discussions about the league’s viewership have suggested over the last few weeks.
