The NFL dominated in the ratings on Christmas Day, while the NBA took a considerable hit from the competition.
The three NFL Christmas Day games averaged an 11.1 rating and 28.68 million viewers, up 23% in ratings and 30% in viewership from last year (9.0, 22.05M). Raiders-Chiefs led the way with a combined 11.7 rating and 29.48 million across CBS and Nickelodeon, followed by Giants-Eagles on FOX at a 10.1 and 29.02 million — the two largest NFL audiences on Christmas since 1989. Ravens-49ers rounded out the day with an 11.4 and 27.61 million on ABC, the fourth-largest Christmas audience over that span.
Overall, this year’s three games rank among the five most-watched NFL Christmas games on record. (Keep in mind out-of-home viewing was not included in Nielsen final nationals until 2020, meaning that a number of previous games may have averaged larger audiences, all things being equal.)
Facing substantially stronger NFL competition than a year ago, the NBA saw its viewership take a significant hit. The league’s five-game Christmas schedule averaged a 1.3 and 2.85 million — down 29% in ratings and 33% in viewership from last year, when all five games were simulcast across ABC and ESPN (1.8, 4.30). ABC aired only two of five games this year. This year marks easily the least-watched NBA Christmas on record.
Celtics-Lakers topped the Christmas slate with a 2.1 rating and 5.01 million viewers across ABC and ESPN, followed by Warriors-Nuggets on the same two networks at a 1.8 and 4.13 million. The three cable-exclusive games were considerably lower, with Bucks-Knicks at a 1.2 and 2.49 million on ESPN and ESPN2, Mavericks-Suns at a 0.7 and 1.47 million on ESPN alone and Sixers-Heat bringing up the rear at a 0.6 and 1.30 million on ESPN and ESPN2 — the NBA’s least-watched Christmas game since at least the 1980s.
There were no other live sports to speak of on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day sports ratings
