Adding the Lakers to the LeBron James-Warriors rivalry had impact one would expect in the overnight ratings.
Tuesday’s Lakers-Warriors NBA Christmas Day game combined for a 6.5 overnight rating across ESPN and ABC, up 97% from Rockets-Thunder on ABC alone last year (3.3*) and up 490% from Timberwolves-Thunder on ESPN alone in 2016 (1.1).
Compared to previous Christmas meetings between LeBron James and the Warriors, this year’s game increased 18% from last year (5.5) and 10% from 2016 (5.9). Keep in mind those games aired in mid-afternoon timeslots and overlapped with NFL competition.
The Lakers’ blowout win, which saw James leave halfway through due to injury, delivered the highest NBA regular season overnight since 2015 — the first time James faced Golden State on Christmas (6.7).
Overall, it tied the league’s fourth-highest Christmas Day overnight in 20 years, matching Bulls-Lakers on Christmas 2011.
Earlier in the day, Sixers-Celtics scored a 4.7 overnight on ABC — up 27% from Wizards-Celtics last year (3.7) and up 38% from Bulls-Spurs in 2016 (3.4). Both of those games faced NFL competition.
The 4.7 is the highest for a Christmas Day game that did not involve LeBron James since 2012 (Knicks-Lakers: 5.9).
Rockets-Thunder had a 3.8, down 31% from last year (5.5) and down 36% from 2016 (5.9), both of which were Cavaliers-Warriors games.
Rounding out the five-game slate, Bucks-Knicks had a 2.2 (-8%) and Blazers-Jazz a 1.5 (+36%).
* ESPN/ABC reported a 4.1 overnight for Rockets-Thunder this time last year, but it is likely that figure included simulcast coverage of Monday Night Football on local ABC affiliates in Philadelphia and Oakland.
[Numbers from ESPN PR 12.26]
