A look at how the NBA’s Christmas Day games have fared in the ratings over the years. Click here to jump straight to the game-by-game ratings.
Originally posted in 2014: The NBA has turned Christmas Day into a television spectacle in the seven years since this site last looked at the numbers. In 2007, Christmas Day was barely more than ‘just another day’ on the league’s calendar. The league was a year removed from scheduling only one game on the holiday.
Today, Christmas is a day-long NBA event — and this year, on three different networks. The expanded schedule has corresponded with a solid increase in ratings, though last year was an injury-wracked exception.
The Heat and Lakers have been the dominant Christmas Day draws in recent years, especially when they have played each other. The teams’ 2004 meeting, which marked the first game between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant as opponents, remains the highest rated and most-watched NBA regular season game on any network since the current TV deal began in 2002 (7.3, 13.2M).
Their 2010 meeting, which took place during LeBron James‘ first season in Miami, ranks second with a 6.4 and 13.1 million. Overall, 11 of the 12 most-watched games since the 2002 TV deal have been Christmas Day matchups involving one or both teams.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Blazers have delivered regular lumps of coal on Christmas Day, having played in four of the five least-watched games on the holiday since at least 2001. Sonics/Blazers in 2007, which was supposed to mark the first head-to-head meeting between top draft picks Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, ranks as the least-watched Christmas game with just 1.5 million viewers.
The Blazers did not play in the lowest rated Christmas game, however, with that distinction going to a Clippers/Suns matchup in 2009 (0.9).
Average Ratings/Viewership For NBA on Christmas Day
Dating back to 2001
| Year | Net(s) | # of gms | Rtg. | Vwrs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | ABC, ESPN | 5 | 3.0 | 5.55M |
| 2014 | ABC, ESPN, TNT | 5 | 2.8 | 5.22M |
| 2013 | ABC, ESPN | 5 | 2.5 | 4.46M |
| 2012 | ABC, ESPN | 5 | 3.1 | 5.50M |
| 2011 | ABC, ESPN, TNT | 5 | 3.5 | 6.31M |
| 2010 | ABC, ESPN | 5 | 3.2 | 6.00M |
| 2009 | ABC, ESPN | 5 | 2.4 | 4.17M |
| 2008 | ABC, ESPN, TNT | 5 | 2.5 | 4.43M |
| 2007 | ABC, ESPN | 3 | 2.6 | 4.29M |
| 2006 | ABC | 1 | 3.5 | 5.47M |
| 2005 | ABC | 2 | 4.4 | 7.12M |
| 2004 | ABC, ESPN | 2 | 5.2 | 8.92M |
| 2003 | ABC, ESPN | 3 | 3.0 | 4.96M |
| 2002 | ABC, ESPN | 3 | 2.8 | 4.52M |
| 2001 | NBC | 2 | 3.2 | 4.99M |
