The NBA's Christmas Day games in 2025 drew more than 47 million unique viewers in the United States, marking the highest viewership in 15 years and a 45% increase from the previous year. Broadcast on ABC and ESPN, the five-game slate outperformed recent holidays, even as the NFL expanded its presence on the day. Social media engagement also reached record levels with 1.6 billion views.
The NBA announced on December 31, 2025, that its Christmas Day programming achieved its best viewership figures since 2010, excluding the 2011 lockout-shortened season that began on the holiday. According to Nielsen data, 47.19 million unique viewers in the U.S. tuned in for at least part of the five games aired on Disney networks, averaging 5.5 million viewers per game—a 4% rise from 2024.
The slate kicked off with the New York Knicks' dramatic 126-124 comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, rallying from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit. This noon Eastern Time matchup averaged 6.37 million viewers, the most-watched Christmas game ever in that slot. The Oklahoma City Thunder's game against the San Antonio Spurs followed at 2:30 p.m., drawing 6.71 million viewers—the highest for a second game since 2017. This contest highlighted an emerging rivalry between Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Later games included the Golden State Warriors versus the Dallas Mavericks at 5 p.m., which was the most-viewed in its slot since 2019, along with the Los Angeles Lakers against the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets facing the Minnesota Timberwolves. The NBA's social media presence was equally dominant, generating 1.6 billion views across platforms—a 23% increase from 2024—making it the most-viewed brand on Christmas, per Videocites.
This success comes amid competition from the NFL, which has broadcast holiday games for the past two years. While NFL remains the leader in overall broadcast viewership, its 2025 Christmas matchups were hampered by injuries and featured teams out of playoff contention, potentially boosting the NBA's appeal.
