After defeating the Golden State Warriors on a last-second lay-up, LeBron James gave a clear message to the NFL.
James is still the face of the NBA despite his old age. And as the Los Angeles Lakers star’s declarations go, most of the rest of the basketball world follows.
The timing of the message coming on Christmas Day to America’s most popular sport was poignant, as the NBA had five games scheduled, compared to the NFL’s two.
The pair of football games is the most for a non-Sunday Christmas Day in league history.
The NFL used to not have games on Christmas Day every year, with the NBA loading up the holiday schedule over the last decade-plus. Now the NFL looks to be trying to spread themselves out across a few holidays.
‘I love the NFL but Christmas is our day,’ James said.
LeBron James gave a clear message to the NFL about their Christmas Day doubleheader
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has signed off on the league having games on Christmas
The NBA quintuple-header, with five games playing consecutively has become a staple of the league, with most of its big stars sharing the day with present-opening.
Last year, the NFL’s lone game on CBS, which featured the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Las Vegas Raiders, with Taylor Swift watching on in a luxury suite, was a critical ratings success.
Now it appears the NFL wants to cash in on the holiday audience every year, as future games on Christmas Day appear to be scheduled through 2026.
This year’s move to Netflix will likely give the NFL’s viewership numbers an even bigger boost, especially with Beyonce performing at halftime of Ravens-Steelers. The NFL’s other game of the day saw the Chiefs defeat the Steelers.
It’s clear the NBA and its biggest stars still see Christmas Day as their territory, as the NFL has traditionally dominated Thanksgiving Day.
It is much easier for the NBA to schedule around holiday games, with an 82-game season, with the NFL running into an issue any year Christmas Day falls on a Tuesday.
However, it looks like the NFL is here to stay in a Christmas Day viewership battle.
