Christmas games have become a cherished tradition in the United Statesespecially when it comes to NBA basketball. This tradition dates back to the league’s second season in 1947. This year, the Warriors and Lakers put on a thrilling matchup at Chase Center, which was the highlight of the celebration.
The Lakers, one of the most frequent participants in these Christmas games, played their 51st holiday game this year. There were five matchups in total, andLakers star LeBron James took a moment to throw some shade at the NFL:
“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” James said.
NBA experiences Christmas Day boom
According to the NBA’s own figures, this year’s Christmas games were the most-watched in the past five years. Viewership increased by 84% compared to last year across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+, and ESPN+. The NBA averaged 5.25 million viewers per game in the United States.
The Lakers-Warriors game was the most-watched NBA regular-season and Christmas Day game in five years, averaging 7.76 million viewers and peaking at 8.32 million viewers.
MOST-WATCHED CHRISTMAS DAY IN 5 YEARS 🎁
The NBA delivered its most-watched Christmas Day in five years, with viewership up 84% vs. last year across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+. The NBA on Christmas Day averaged 5.25 million viewers per game in the U.S.
The matchup… pic.twitter.com/DVviJzMiKa
– NBA (@nba) December 26, 2024
NBA Christmas Games 2024
- San Antonio Spurs 114-117 New York Knicks
- Minnesota Timberwolves 105-99 Dallas Mavericks
- Philadelphia 76ers 118-114 Boston Celtics
- Los Angeles Lakers 115-113 Golden State Warriors
- Denver Nuggets 100-110 Phoenix Suns
NFL and Netflix: A Winning Combination
On the other hand, the NFL celebrated its fourth consecutive year of scheduling at least two games on Christmas Day. This year had a special twist as the league partnered with the popular streaming platform Netflixresulting in a massive success.
Beyond just sports, the event featured performances by Mariah Careywho sang her classic holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” during the Chiefs-Steelers game, and Beyoncéwho performed a halftime show at NRG Stadium.
These elements generated significant interest. According to statistics from Netflix and NFL Media, viewers from over 200 countries tuned in at some point to watch the Chiefs-Steelers game. It became the second most popular live title on the platform to date.
Continuing with the numbers, Netflix revealed that Christmas Gameday set a record, reaching 65 million viewers in the United Statesaccording to Nielsen statistics. Each game averaged over 24 million viewerswith the Chiefs-Steelers and Ravens-Texans matchups now being the two most-watched NFL games in U.S. history. The audience peaked during the so-called “Beyoncé Bowl,” with over 27 million viewers.
NFL Christmas Games 2024
- Kansas City Chiefs 29-10 Pittsburgh Steelers
- Baltimore Ravens 31-2 Houston Texans
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