• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

The NFL Gets What It Wants, Including on Christmas. But the NBA Isn’t Going Away

  • Last year, the NFL staged a Christmas Day tripleheader, immediately driving a wedge into NBA programming.
  • The Association just leveled up with a successful In-Season Tournament debut, but for the second time, faces competition on its trademark holiday.
NFL
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Exclusive

Stan Verrett Joining FanDuel Sports Network in Multiple Roles

The former ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor has found a new home.
Read Now
September 18, 2025 |

Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Joe Dumars was known as a defensive stopper and cornerstone of the infamous “Jordan Rules” that the team used to lock down Michael Jordan. 

These days, Dumars has a less aggressive attitude toward the Jordan-like dominance of the NFL, particularly on Christmas Day. 

“You stay in your lane and you do your thing,” Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, tells Front Office Sports. “We try to put on the best possible games that we can, try to put on compelling matchups. [Christmas Day] is a tradition for the NBA, but we’re not unaware that the NFL is broadcasting this year on Christmas. Our focus is really on the slate of games that we’re putting on, [and] our fanbase, who expect us to put on a great show.”

Last year, the NFL staged a Christmas Day tripleheader, amplifying a growing presence for the league on the holiday in recent years, and promptly trounced the NBA. The three football games averaged 21.9 million viewers, more than five times the Association average of 4.3 million over five contests.

The gap could widen even further this year, as the NFL’s three Christmas games are a big gift to fans. All three contests feature Super Bowl contenders, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles playing in the day’s first two windows against divisional rivals (Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, respectively). 

The nightcap is a battle between the current No. 1 seeds and a possible Super Bowl LVIII preview between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers—a far cry from last year’s Christmas slate featuring three teams already eliminated from playoff contention. 

“Last year was maybe a toe in the water. But this year, you can really see us diving in, particularly with the teams and brands we selected,” Mike North, the NFL’s vice president of broadcast planning, tells FOS. “While not quite catching up to Thanksgiving [in terms of viewership] just yet, it’s on its way. I’m really fascinated to see what these three games can do, given the brands, the quarterbacks, and the playoff implications.”

The NBA will provide its own Christmas showcase of top teams and popular players on ESPN, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.

The full slate of Christmas games:

  • NBA: Bucks at New York Knicks: 12 p.m. on ESPN
  • NFL: Raiders at Chiefs: 1 p.m. on CBS
  • NBA: Warriors at Nuggets: 2:30 p.m. on ESPN and ABC.
  • NFL: Giants at Eagles: 4:30 p.m. on Fox
  • NBA: Boston Celtics at Lakers: 5 p.m. on ESPN and ABC
  • NBA: 76ers at Miami Heat: 8 p.m. on ESPN
  • NFL: Ravens at 49ers: 8:15 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+
  • NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns: 10:30 p.m. on ESPN

But with Christmas capping off an NFL-record one-week offering of seven national games for the NFL and the league staking out new ground (a Black Friday game and more international contests), the NBA’s challenge grows. 

“All we can do is put on a great slate of games and trust that our fans will support us the way they’ve been doing for years,” Dumars says.

Building Momentum

Traditionally, Christmas has served as a second opening day for the NBA, reintroducing the league to the masses and marking where the league starts to matter for many fans. NBA games on Christmas have been an annual staple since 1947, when in the first yuletide tilt the Knicks—with a player named Peter Noel on the bench—beat the Providence Steamrollers 89-75. For the past 16 years, the league has played five games on the holiday.

Last year, that crucial dynamic played out again as a Suns-Nuggets overtime thriller—won by Denver, the eventual league champion—sealed a 5% lift in viewers compared to Christmas 2021. 

The rhythms of the NBA season, however, have materially changed this year with the arrival of the In-Season Tournament. Inspired in part by European soccer tournaments and designed to elevate what often is a slower part of the schedule, the event was a success out of the gate, drawing an average of 1.67 million viewers, generating double-digit-percentage audience growth for both national and regional networks against comparable time frames last year. 

ABC and ESPN2’s coverage of the title game, in which the Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers, garnered an average of 4.58 million viewers, becoming the most-watched non-Christmas game in the regular season on any network in nearly six years. The In-Season Tournament is now actively being adjusted for 2024, expecting even greater prominence, including a potential shift in semifinal game locations and more lead time to design, build, and install the much-discussed tournament floors.

More immediately, though, the league is also anticipating a halo effect from the In-Season Tournament on Christmas.

“We just had an entire month of November and first week of December with the In-Season Tournament and a lot of excitement,” Dumars says. “Before you know it, you’re right into Christmas Day. Previously, we would start in October, and there would be that two-month gap [until Christmas]. So there’s a nice flow now with the way the In-Season Tournament fits into the schedule, and I believe this really helps keep the fans engaged.”

Room For Everybody?

The NFL has spent much of the past decade disproving a prediction made in 2014 by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who guessed aloud that the league’s push into new holidays and new game windows would backfire. “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered,” Cuban said. “And they’re getting hoggy.”

Part of the NFL’s success in avoiding that blowback has been its effort to reach new audiences, something that will be part of the league’s 2023 Christmas plan as well. CBS Sports will expand its multi-year run of youth-oriented broadcasts in collaboration with its sister network Nickelodeon, offering a return of its special “Nickmas” game presentation. Alternate coverage of the Raiders-Chiefs game will include the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in augmented-reality form.

“A lot of the discussion around these alt-casts is centered on touching a demographic that we don’t normally reach,” North says. “You think about the Toy Story execution that ESPN did back in October and what Amazon is doing every Thursday with the analytics broadcasts. … Our broadcast partners push each other, and when somebody does something successful, it’s a copycat league, not just on the field but off.”

The NFL and NBA are showing a respectful deference toward each other, with both entities acknowledging that while the NFL has a big lead in reach metrics, the NBA enjoys a younger audience on average. The leagues also coordinate schedules when possible to avoid overly taxing local stadium and arena districts. Notably, the NBA and NFL games on Christmas include no overlap in home team markets. 

“We’re sports fans ourselves, and we know this has been a day important to them,” North said. “There’s an open line of communication, and I think we’re respectful and honest. But we’re also going to do what we think is right for our fans.”

Meanwhile, Disney also has a significant stake in both camps, showing the entire slate of NBA Christmas games and the Ravens-49ers game. 

The Christmas fight will take at least a year off, as the holiday in 2024 falls on a Wednesday, a day of the week outside the normal NFL schedule. But Christmas 2025 falls on a Thursday and the holiday won’t again be on a Tuesday or Wednesday until 2029, opening up a new realm of possibilities and reigniting one of the most fascinating stories in both sports media and league operations. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Valkyries Debut Season Sets Stage for Free-Agent Buzz

The Valkyries were eliminated in the first round on Wednesday.
exclusive

Stan Verrett Joining FanDuel Sports Network in Multiple Roles

The former ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor has found a new home.

ESPN Draws Highest ‘MNF’ Doubleheader Audience Since 2015

Buccaneers–Texans and Chargers–Raiders averaged 13.5 million viewers.

Stephen A. Smith on MNF Role, Inside the NBA, Molly Qerim Departure

Smith told FOS he will work “at least” three games this season.

Featured Today

Adriunna Brown

Business Is Booming for WNBA’s Top Beauty Pros

A network of stylists is shaping how players look, feel, and perform.
Premier Lacrosse League
September 14, 2025

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
Sep 14, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; Portland Thorns FC midfielder Olivia Moultrie (13) kicks the ball past Chicago Stars FC defender Sam Staab (3) during the second half of a match at SeatGeek Stadium.
September 16, 2025

NWSL Beefs Up Media Deal With More CBS, ESPN, Adds Victory+

The NWSL has been locked into its existing deal since last year.
September 16, 2025

Adam Silver Walks Back Claim He’d Never Heard of Aspiration

Adam Silver spoke at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Sep 14, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) gestures to a teammate after scoring against the Seattle Storm in the first quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena.
September 15, 2025

Aces Surge From Collapse to Contention With Dynasty at Stake

The turnaround started after a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
September 15, 2025

Tush Push Debate Heats Up in Eagles Win, Ex-NFL Rules Chief Sounds..

The Eagles are continuing to run the quarterback-sneak play.
September 14, 2025

Most NFL Home Teams Opt to Honor Charlie Kirk Before Games

Several NFL teams playing at home on Sunday recognized the late activist. Some did not.
September 14, 2025

Crawford-Alvarez Bout Draws Biggest Crowd in Vegas Boxing History

Record attendance, a big gate, and growing ambitions mark the high-profile bout.