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NBA Announces Huge Ratings Bump For Christmas Day Games

Originally posted on The Spun | By Hunter Hodies | Last updated Dec 26, 2024 7:04 PM ET

The NBA's ratings have been a bit down this year compared to recent years.

It has some fans and media pundits concerned but the league did get some massive ratings on Wednesday during Christmas Day.

According to the NBA, the league had its most-watched Christmas Day in five years, with viewership up 84% compared to last year across all ESPN networks. It averaged 5.25 million viewers per game in the United States.

The Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors hit the jackpot on Wednesday, averaging 7.76 million viewers and it peaked with 8.32 million viewers. It was the most-watched NBA regular season and Christmas game in five years.

It was a great back-and-forth affair that ended with the Lakers winning by two, 115-113. LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring with 31 points and 10 assists while Austin Reaves was right behind him with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, good for a triple-double.

Warriors superstar Steph Curry did everything in his power to lead the Warriors to a win with 38 points but he came up just short. Andrew Wiggins was second on the team with 21 points.

This win got the Lakers to 17-13 overall while the Warriors fell to 15-14.

It was a great cap-off to one heck of a day for the NBA. All five games were decided by 10 points or fewer.

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 118-114 while the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 117-114. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 105-99 before the Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 110-100.

If the NBA can have more days like this during the 2024-25 season, then the ratings will be up in no time.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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