NBA Christmas Day draws largest audience in 15 years
nba-christmas-day-viewership-15-year-high
The NBA recorded its strongest Christmas Day television numbers since 2010, the league reported Wednesday.
More than 47 million viewers in the United States tuned in to at least part of the five-game lineup on ABC and ESPN, a 45% jump from the 2024 holiday schedule. The games averaged 5.5 million viewers, up 4% year over year.
The noon ET meeting between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks drew an average of 6.4 million viewers, setting a record for a Christmas game that tipped off at that time. The 2:30 p.m. contest between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder was the most watched in that slot since 2017, while the 5 p.m. matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors delivered the best numbers for that window since 2019.
Across social platforms, NBA content generated 1.6 billion views on Dec. 25, marking a 23% increase compared with Christmas 2024. The league said it was the most-viewed brand on social media for the day.
Source: ESPN
