NBA Christmas ratings, viewership (1997-present)

See which NBA games have been the biggest draws on Christmas on the NBA Christmas ratings page.

Christmas has long been one of the most important dates on the NBA calendar, especially since the league expanded to a five-game schedule in 2008. Under the five-game format, the highest rated and most-watched NBA Christmas was 2011, which doubled as Opening Day of the lockout-shortened season. The five-game schedule averaged a 3.5 rating and 6.3 million viewers.

The lowest rated and least-watched five-game slate came in 2021, when the majority of games featured shorthanded teams.

Average NBA Christmas ratings, viewership, by year

NBA Christmas games ranked by viewership (1997-present)

The most-watched NBA Christmas Day games dating back to 1997 are as follows:

• #1: Shaq vs. Kobe I (Heat-Lakers, 2004): The much-hyped first meeting between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant as opponents averaged 13.18 million viewers on ABC in 2004.
• #2: Heatles vs. Lakers (Heat-Lakers, 2010): In the first season of the LeBron James-led Miami Heat, the “Heatles” first matchup with Kobe Bryant and the two-time defending champion Lakers averaged 13.11 million viewers.
• #3: The first LeBron-Steph Christmas (Cavaliers-Warriors, 2015): Coming off of an NBA Finals that still ranks as the highest rated since 1998, LeBron James and the Cavaliers faced the 27-1 defending champion Warriors in front of a TV audience of 11.17 million.
• #4: An Opening Night thriller (Bulls-Lakers, 2011): On Opening Night of the 2011-12 season — shortened by a lengthy owner-imposed lockout — Kobe Bryant and the Lakers faced reigning MVP Derrick Rose and the Bulls in front of a TV audience of the 11.01 million.
• #5: Jordan’s final Christmas game (Heat-Bulls, 1997): In what turned out to be his final Christmas Day game, Michael Jordan and the “Last Dance” Bulls faced the Heat in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch that drew 10.85 million on NBC.