LeBron James will have to make way for the NFL.
Doubleheader on Wednesday on Netflix set records as the most-streamed NFL games in US history, with numbers nearly five times those of the NBA.
The Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 win over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million while Kansas City’s 29-10 win over Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 according to early viewer numbers released by Nielsen on Thursday.
Nielsen also said there were 65 million American viewers It was busted For at least one minute of one of the two matches.
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The NBA’s five-game series averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game across ABC and ESPN and their platforms, according to the league and Nielsen.
“I love the NFL,” James said in his postgame televised interview Wednesday night. “But Christmas is our day.”
While the NBA’s Christmas lineup had its best viewing numbers in five years, the NFL made Christmas one of its tentpole events during the regular season, joining the weekend and Thanksgiving.
“The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own point of view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this,” NFL executive vice president Hans Schroeder said. “But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build on that over the next couple of years.”
Both NFL games surpassed the previous mark of 23 million for last season’s wild card game in the AFC between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs on Peacock.
Ravens-Texans viewership peaked with the Beyoncé Bowl. The 20-minute halftime performance averaged over 27 million viewers.
Viewer numbers include audiences on Netflix, mobile viewership on NFL+ and those who tuned into CBS stations in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Houston.
Global assessments and final US figures are expected to be available on Tuesday.
The NFL’s Christmas numbers are down compared to last season, but not at the rate that typically occurs when something goes from broadcast to live.
The three games last year averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million on CBS.
Once global data and Netflix’s first-party data are released, the number of Christmas games should exceed 30 million.
The NBA lineup saw an 84% increase compared to 2023. One reason for this increase is that all five games were on ABC, compared to two games last year.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors, a matchup between fellow Olympians LeBron James and Stephen Curry, averaged 7.76 million viewers and peaked at about 8.32 million viewers near the end of the contest, the league said.
These numbers represent the most-watched regular season game in the NBA in five years.