It seems like LeBron James had a glimpse into the future when he declared that Christmas Day belonged to the NBA. Despite facing weeks of negative headlines and declining viewership, the NBA delivered its best Christmas Day numbers on ESPN in half a decade, proving that the league still knows how to captivate audiences during the holiday season.
The 2024 Christmas Day slate saw a remarkable 83% increase in viewership compared to 2023, with marquee teams like the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, as well as superstar players like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant, drawing in a massive audience. This surge in viewership was at least partially fueled by Disney’s strategic decision to broadcast all five games on its broadcast networks for the first time, ensuring greater accessibility across multiple platforms. In 2023, only two of the five games were broadcast on ABC, but in 2024, all the games aired on the free broadcast network, with additional streaming options available through ESPN+ and Disney+.
The day’s action kicked off with the highly anticipated matchup between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, featuring French sensation Victor Wembanyama. The game, broadcast from Madison Square Garden, drew 4.91 million average viewers, marking the most-watched Christmas Day opener in 13 years. This was a nearly double increase compared to 2023, helped in part by a unique “Dunk the Halls” alternative broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN+, and Disney+, featuring Mickey Mouse and friends, which likely attracted additional viewers.
In the second game, a Western Conference Finals rematch between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks, led by Anthony Edwards and Luka Dončić, averaged 4.38 million viewers. This represented a 6% increase compared to 2023. Following that, a high-stakes Northeast corridor rivalry game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics drew 5.16 million viewers, a 3% uptick over the previous year.
The last two games of the day, however, truly propelled the NBA’s success. The primetime matchup between LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers and Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors captivated 7.8 million viewers, peaking at over 8.3 million during a thrilling sequence that saw Curry hit a game-tying three-pointer and Austin Reaves make a game-winning layup at the buzzer. This game saw a staggering 499% increase over the injury-plagued Heat vs. Sixers game in 2023.
The final game, which saw Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns face off against Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets, averaged 3.84 million viewers, up 161% from the previous year’s Suns-Mavericks matchup. This capped off a day of massive growth for the league, which, according to the NBA, marked a significant win in terms of engagement.
Despite the evolving nature of viewership metrics, such as the inclusion of out-of-market viewing and the rise of streaming, the increase in numbers for the 2024 Christmas slate is undeniable. When compared to the NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day games, which were also broadcast entirely on ABC, the 2024 numbers still show a nearly 25% increase.
This surge in viewership comes at a critical time for the NBA, which has been grappling with declining ratings in recent seasons. The increased attention on the league’s Christmas Day games reinforces the idea that when the NBA’s stars are on display—especially legends like LeBron James and Curry—the league can still draw massive audiences. With the continued dominance of figures like James, Durant, and Curry, the NBA appears poised to remain a major player in the sports media landscape for the foreseeable future.
