The NBA’s TV ratings have been a concern this season, but the league had a strong showing on Christmas Day.
The five NBA games on Christmas earned the highest ratings in five years, with an average of 5.25 million viewers. This marked an 84 percent increase from last year.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors was a highlight. On Thursday, the NBA announced that this game had the highest viewership for a regular-season and Christmas game in five years, with an average of 7.76 million viewers and a peak of 8.32 million.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points and 10 assists, while Stephen Curry of the Warriors matched a Christmas Day record by hitting eight 3-pointers, including one to tie the game with 7.6 seconds left. Austin Reaves of the Lakers then made the game-winning layup, finishing with a triple-double (26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists).
Other games included the New York Knicks defeating the San Antonio Spurs (4.91 million viewers), the Minnesota Timberwolves beating the Dallas Mavericks (4.38 million), the Philadelphia 76ers surprising the Boston Celtics (5.16 million), and the Phoenix Suns defeating the Denver Nuggets (3.84 million).
The NBA also highlighted that the Nuggets-Suns game was the most-watched Christmas game in the late window (10:30 p.m. ET start).
This increase in viewership occurred even though the NFL had two games on Netflix in the afternoon. The NFL usually plays at least one Christmas game, but this was the first time it aired a game on a Wednesday, a day when football is not typically played.
