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5d ago

Barkley Leads NBA Backlash to NFL’s Christmas Push as Leagues Go Head-to-Head

Football’s Netflix-plus-Prime streaming plan puts three games on Dec. 25, challenging a tradition many in basketball claim as their own.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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12/25/25

Overview

  • Charles Barkley blasted Roger Goodell on ESPN’s Christmas pregame show, calling the NFL “greedy” for loading Dec. 25 with football and declaring “Christmas is an NBA day.”
  • Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson argued the holiday should remain basketball’s, and LeBron James and Draymond Green voiced a preference to be home with family on Dec. 25.
  • The NFL scheduled a three-game slate with a Netflix doubleheader (Cowboys–Commanders, Lions–Vikings) and a Prime Video game (Broncos–Chiefs), with several starting quarterbacks unavailable.
  • The NBA countered with five nationally televised games featuring nine teams at .500 or better and a lineup of marquee stars expected to play.
  • Ratings context favors the NFL’s larger per-game audiences, while the NBA reports a rebound to 1.81 million average viewers across partners and 87 million U.S. viewers year-to-date.