LeBron James has faced a brutal reality after the NFL's Christmas Day viewing figures crushed those of the NBA.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers' festive victory over the Golden State Warriors, James looked toward the camera and said, 'I love the NFL. But Christmas is our day.'
The timing of the message to America's most popular sport was poignant, as the NBA had five games scheduled compared to the NFL's two.
However, the NFL continues to take advantage of the holiday action and its pair of games was the most games for a non-Sunday Christmas Day in league history.
And their strategy is clearly working after Netflix set records for the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history on Wednesday, leaving the NBA far behind.
The NFL and Nielsen said 65 million American viewers tuned in for at least one minute of one of the two NFL games.
LeBron James received a brutal blow of reality after his dig at the NFL on Christmas Day.
Netflix's NFL viewing numbers, which included the Chiefs game, crushed the NBA's ratings.
The Baltimore Ravens' 31-2 win over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million, while Kansas City's 29-10 win at Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 million, according to the first viewing figures released by Nielsen on Thursday. .
The five-game NBA lineup averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game on ABC, ESPN and their platforms, according to the league and Nielsen.
Although the NBA had the sports calendar to itself on December 25 for many years, the NFL has made Christmas one of its main events during the regular season, along with opening weekend and Thanksgiving.
Hans Schroeder, executive vice president of NFL Media, took James' comments as a joke while also being happy about the first season of the league's three-year partnership with Netflix.
“The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own opinion, and I'm sure more people will consider it because of this,” he said.
“But, you know, we're focused on the NFL and we're excited about this year's results with Christmas on Netflix and we're excited to continue to build on that for years to come.”
Both NFL games surpassed the previous mark of 23 meters for last season's AFC wild card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs on Peacock.
Ravens-Texans viewership peaked with the Beyoncé Bowl. The nearly 13-minute halftime performance averaged 27 million viewers.
Ravens-Texans viewership peaked with the Beyoncé Bowl: its 13-minute halftime show
Viewer numbers include Netflix viewership, NFL+ mobile viewership and those who tuned into CBS stations in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Houston.
Global ratings and final U.S. numbers are expected to be available Tuesday.
The NFL's Christmas numbers were down from last season, but not at the rate that typically occurs when something moves from broadcast to streaming.
Last year's three games had an average of 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million on CBS.
Once Netflix's own and global data is released, both Christmas games should surpass 30 million.
The games were the second and third most popular live titles in Netflix history, surpassed only by the Nov. 14 fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.
That fight had an average global audience of 60 million and peaked at 65 million simulcasts, including 38 million simulcasts in the United States.
According to Netflix, 108 million around the world watched at least one minute of the billboard.
There will be at least two NFL games on Christmas next year, but since the holiday falls on a Thursday, it's more likely there will be three, two in the afternoon and one in prime time. The NFL has had three Thanksgiving Day games since 2006.
The five-game NBA lineup averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game on ABC and ESPN.
“Everything Netflix put into the entire day, from the quality of the streaming, the production and the graphics, made it feel like a very special Christmas Day,” Schroeder said. “You had the opening with Mariah (Carey), you had Beyoncé, it all took things to another level.”
The biggest win for Netflix, however, is that there were very few complaints about streaming. The only complaint from most is that the broadcast did not immediately transition to live action if someone tuned in after the game started.
“Bringing our members this record-breaking two-game NFL day was the best Christmas gift we could have given,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement.
“We are grateful for our partnership with the NFL, for all of our wonderful on-air talent, and let's not forget the electrifying Beyoncé and the brilliant Mariah Carey.”
The NBA said all five Christmas games on its schedule (San Antonio at New York in Victor Wembanyama's Christmas debut, Minnesota at Dallas, Philadelphia at Boston, Denver at Phoenix and Lakers-Warriors) saw year-over-year viewership increases.
The NBA lineup saw an 84% increase from 2023. One reason for the increase is that all five games were broadcast on ABC, compared to two last year.
The Lakers' 115-113 victory over the Warriors, a game pitting fellow Olympians James and Stephen Curry, averaged 7.76 million viewers and peaked with about 8.32 million viewers toward the end of the contest, the league said.
Those numbers represent the most-watched NBA regular-season game in five years.