LeBron James Acknowledges NFL's Dominance Over NBA in Christmas Ratings

The NBA star admitted the NFL outperformed his league on Christmas, citing star power like Beyoncé and Patrick Mahomes as key factors.

LeBron James conceded that the NFL outperformed the NBA in Christmas Day viewership during an appearance on the Kelce brothers' 'New Heights' podcast.
The NFL's two Christmas Day games drew over 65 million viewers combined, significantly surpassing the NBA's average of 5.25 million per game across five matchups.
James initially claimed Christmas belonged to the NBA but later admitted the NFL 'kicked our ass' in ratings, attributing part of the success to halftime performances and major stars like Beyoncé and Patrick Mahomes.
The NBA achieved its highest Christmas Day viewership in five years, but the NFL's games, despite being blowouts, still dominated the holiday audience.
James likened the NBA's position to a 'little brother' standing up to the NFL and explained his initial comments as an effort to defend his league.