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NFL Dominates Streaming with Record Christmas Viewership
LeBron James may find himself overshadowed by NFL viewership this Christmas season.
In a groundbreaking doubleheader that aired on Netflix, the NFL achieved unprecedented viewership figures, marking the games as the most-streamed in U.S. history. The numbers for these matchups were approximately five times greater than those for any NBA games during the same period.
The contest between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, which ended with a score of 31-2, attracted an average of 24.3 million viewers. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which concluded with a score of 29-10, garnered an average of 24.1 million viewers, according to preliminary data from Nielsen released on Thursday.
Additionally, Nielsen reported that an impressive 65 million U.S. viewers engaged with at least one minute of the two games combined.
In contrast, the NBA’s Christmas schedule, which included five games, averaged approximately 5.25 million viewers each across various platforms such as ABC and ESPN. These figures stand in stark contrast to the NFL’s performance, highlighting the latter’s growing presence in the holiday sports landscape.
During a postgame interview, LeBron James expressed his admiration for the NFL, stating, “I love the NFL. But Christmas is our day.” Despite the NBA achieving its strongest Christmas viewing numbers in five years, the NFL has established a significant foothold on the holiday season, alongside traditional events such as Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving.
Hans Schroeder, executive vice president of NFL Media, acknowledged the record-breaking statistics, asserting, “The numbers speak for themselves… we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years.” He noted that both NFL games surpassed the previous record of 23 million viewers set during last season’s AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and the Chiefs.
A highlight of the Ravens-Texans matchup was the “Beyoncé Bowl,” where a 20-minute halftime performance captivated more than 27 million viewers.
The impressive viewer counts extend to all platforms, including Netflix, mobile viewing on NFL+, and local CBS broadcasts in cities such as Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore, and Houston. Comprehensive global ratings and finalized U.S. numbers are anticipated to be released later this week.
Despite a slight decrease in viewership for this year’s Christmas NFL games compared to last season, the decline was less severe than typically expected when transitioning from traditional broadcasting to streaming platforms. Last year’s three NFL games averaged an audience of 28.68 million, with a standout performance by the afternoon game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Chiefs, which attracted 29.48 million viewers on CBS.
Once global and Netflix’s first-party viewer data is disclosed, expectations suggest that both this year’s Christmas games could surpass the milestone of 30 million viewers.
On the NBA side, the league saw an 84% increase in viewership compared to 2023, largely due to all five games being broadcast on ABC this year, a significant improvement over the two games aired last season.
The matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, featuring Olympic teammates LeBron James and Stephen Curry, averaged 7.76 million viewers, reaching a peak of approximately 8.32 million towards the conclusion of the game — making it the most-watched NBA regular-season game in five years.
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