This Christmas Day, the NBA delivered a spectacular showing, with significant improvements in television ratings compared to last year. The highly anticipated clash between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets not only captured the spotlight but also set a new viewership record.
As holiday spirits soared, the NBA reported an impressive 84% increase in viewership, culminating in an average audience of 3.84 million for the Suns-Nuggets game. This figure marks the highest-ever viewership for an NBA late-window matchup on Christmas.
The Suns emerged victorious in this thrilling encounter, defeating the Nuggets with a score of 110-100, showcasing their prowess on one of the biggest stages of the season.
Overall, the five games aired across platforms including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+, and ESPN+ attracted an average of 5.25 million viewers. The Lakers-Warriors showdown took the crown, drawing an impressive 7.76 million viewers—the NBA’s most-watched Christmas Day in five years.
Despite a challenging season leading up to the holiday, where ratings across ESPN, ABC, and TNT were down 18% from the previous year, the Christmas Day figures reflect a mere 4% decline, according to Sports Media Watch.
Postgame, Suns superstar Kevin Durant expressed his thoughts on the elevated interest: “The NBA emphasizes how special this moment is. They didn’t take today for granted, the fans didn’t take today for granted. So that’s why the viewership is up today; everybody’s more excited to watch basketball today. So it’s cool, man.”
Durant added a note of caution regarding the ongoing narrative around player performance impacting ratings: “It’s a weird dialogue around the league. I see a lot of people blaming the players for it. Something that big is not just one component of why it’s going that way. There are a lot of different reasons; that’s another discussion. Today was a step in the right direction… Hopefully, the fans stay engaged with the game, invested in each player and team throughout the season and not just during the playoffs or finals.”
Notably, the NBA faced competition from the NFL on Christmas Day, as two football games streamed on Netflix. Fortunately for basketball fans, the games ended in time for the Lakers-Warriors and Suns-Nuggets matchups to enjoy diminished competition.