NBA breaks new record that has the fans to thank
NBA viewership numbers over the Christmas period hit a new high last year.
In a welcome boost for basketball’s holiday tradition, the NBA’s Christmas Day television and digital presence reached its highest point in more than a decade, according to league and industry metrics source Nielsen Big Data + Panel.
This year’s festive slate of games drew a notably larger audience, signalling renewed interest in the sport’s marquee mid-winter showcase.
Across ABC and ESPN’s broadcasts, more than 47 million viewers in the United States watched at least part of the five-game schedule on December 25. That marks a significant increase compared with last year and represents the most substantial Christmas Day reach for the NBA since the early 2010s. On average, roughly 5.5 million people tuned in per game, a slight rise on 2024 figures.
NFL and NBA viewership numbers for their Christmas games:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 31, 2025
NFL (Netflix, Amazon):
- Cowboys-Commanders: 19.9M
- Lions-Vikings: 27.5M
- Broncos-Chiefs: 21.1M
NBA (ESPN, ABC)
- Cavaliers-Knicks: 6.4M
- Spurs-Thunder: 6.7M
- Mavericks-Warriors: 6.1M
- Rockets-Lakers: 5.4M
-… pic.twitter.com/QwY2Zswl3R
This year’s lineup featured compelling matchups to entice fans to the screens. The midday clash between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks set a new benchmark as the most-watched Christmas game in that timeslot, while contests later in the afternoon and evening also achieved some of the strongest numbers in recent holiday history.
Knicks vs Cavaliers averaged 6.37 million viewers, while Thunder vs Spurs averaged 6.71 million, making that the most-viewed second game since 2017.
The surge in viewership was not confined to television alone. On social platforms, which is the real quiz, NBA content proved to be especially attractive on December 25. According to analytics firm Videocites, content related to the NBA generated more than 1.6 billion views across major social media channels, which is an increase of more than 20 percent over last year’s holiday.
More than 87 million people in the U.S. have watched NBA games this season across NBC/Peacock, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and NBA TV, the most viewers in 15 years and up 89% vs. last year.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 22, 2025
(Excludes 2011-12 season which began on Christmas Day.) pic.twitter.com/zf5iAbbdnG
Presumably this was made up by people sneaking off to the toilet suring family games time to get some much-needed solo time. I know I did.
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