On Christmas Day, the NBA showcased five exciting games, but the NFL is expected to have higher viewership numbers. Despite this, NBA stakeholders are keenly aware of the competition and are not backing down. In a bold move, LeBron James, a noted football fan, declared “Christmas is our day” in a postgame interview after a thrilling Los Angeles Lakers victory.
This sentiment is likely shared across the league, as each major American sports league lays claim to a different holiday. The NFL dominates Thanksgiving, the NBA rules Christmas, while college football, the NHL, and MLB have New Year’s Day and Fourth of July, respectively.
However, since 2020, the NFL has encroached on the NBA’s territory by scheduling games on Christmas, consistently outperforming the basketball league in ratings. Despite some pushback from players about the tight scheduling, the NFL’s strategy seems to be working, with games even streamed on Netflix this year.
The NBA is determined to hold onto Christmas as its own, but the NFL’s dominance cannot be ignored. Despite the competition, the NBA can only focus on delivering an exciting product to attract viewers. This year, the Christmas games provided thrilling matchups, including a nail-biting win for the Lakers over the Golden State Warriors.
Other games throughout the day also delivered close contests, unlike the NFL’s blowout victories. While the NFL may have the upper hand in ratings, the NBA remains committed to making Christmas a day filled with top-tier basketball entertainment.