The NFL used to do everything possible to avoid Christmas.
Currently, the league is scheduling games on Wednesdays for the holiday season.
Christmas was once known as the unofficial start of the NBA season. The season actually starts two months early with classic matchups.
Wednesday saw a typical five NBA games played throughout the day, followed by two NFL games.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, 23, dribbles at Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, 30, at Chase Center during the first quarter. (Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)
After a thrilling Christmas night between the Lakers and the Warriors, LeBron James made a bold claim as the NBA’s ratings dipped and the NFL remained as popular as ever.
“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” he said.
The numbers show otherwise.
Notably, the NBA had a great day by standards, averaging 5.2 million viewers on Wednesday, the most for a holiday in five years.
James’ game against Stephen Curry’s Warriors averaged 7.7 million viewers and peaked at 8.3 million. The Suns vs. Nuggets game at 10:30 p.m. ET also had the largest late window in history, with 3.8 million people watching.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, 30, dribbles at Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, 23, during the second half on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
But the NFL still dominated, with the Chiefs-Steelers and Texans-Ravens games averaging 24.2 million viewers, even though both games were disasters on Netflix.
As expected, James was trolled on social media.
NFL games will ultimately be played on five separate days in Week 17. Thursday, Sunday, and Monday are typical game days, with Saturday games occurring later in the season.
Next Christmas will be on a Thursday, so perhaps the NFL will be as busy as the Thanksgiving tripleheader.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James gestures to his teammates during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)
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The NFL’s Christmas ratings fell short of its Thanksgiving numbers, while the NBA’s ratings improved after diluting early in the season.
But on any given day, it’s clear that the NFL is king.
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