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[12/26/24 - 01:08 PM]
NBA Exclusively on ESPN Platforms: Most-Watched Christmas in Five Years and Up 84 Percent From Last Year
The NBA on Christmas, exclusively on ESPN platforms, averaged 5,254,000 viewers on December 25, making it the most-watched NBA Christmas in five years - since 2019 - according to Nielsen.
[via press release from ESPN]

NBA Exclusively on ESPN Platforms: Most-Watched Christmas in Five Years and Up 84 Percent From Last Year

· Season to Date: NBA Viewership on ESPN Platforms Up Four Percent From Last Season

· Los Angeles Lakers Victory Over Golden State Warriors Averaged 7,763,000 Viewers, Most-Watched NBA Regular Season Game Since 2019

· Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Averaged Largest Audience Ever for Late Christmas Window

· San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks Drew Largest Audience for Opening Christmas Game in 13 Years

· NBA Christmas on ESPN Platforms Include ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ and Recently Launched ESPN on Disney+

The NBA on Christmas, exclusively on ESPN platforms, averaged 5,254,000 viewers on December 25, making it the most-watched NBA Christmas in five years - since 2019 - according to Nielsen. Viewership for the full five-game slate was up 84 percent from 2023. NBA viewership across ESPN platforms is up four percent from last season. This season's full Christmas schedule was available on ABC, ESPN, Disney+ and ESPN+. The San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks Dunk the Halls animated alt-cast also aired on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+.

An average of 7,763,000 viewers watched the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James battle with the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry in primetime. It was the most-watched NBA regular season game in five years, since 2019, and it was up an astonishing 499 percent from the comparable game last year (Philadelphia vs. Miami). The Lakers vs. Warriors game peaked with 8,324,000 viewers at 10:30 p.m. ET.

In addition, the Phoenix Suns victory over the Denver Nuggets averaged 3,840,000 viewers, making it the largest audience for a late Christmas window ever (10:30 p.m. ET start). It was up 161 percent from last year's Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks game.

The noon game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks generated an average audience of 4,913,000 viewers, making it the most-watched opening game on Christmas in 13 years, since 2011. The Spurs vs. Knicks game included the animated Dunk the Halls alternate presentation on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+. Overall, viewership was up 98 percent from last year's noon game between the Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.

At 5 p.m., the game between the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers averaged 5,161,000 viewers, up three percent from the Celtics vs. Lakers game last year. The final audience for this game, and thus the full day, will increase when viewership information from the Boston market is available.

In the 2:30 p.m. window, an average of 4,382,000 viewers watched the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks game. That is up six percent from last year's Warriors vs. Nuggets game.

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