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NFL to Continue Christmas Games Tradition in 2024, Despite Wednesday Schedule

High viewership ratings and strategic scheduling decisions underline the NFL's commitment to holiday games, challenging the NBA's traditional hold on Christmas Day.

Detroit Lions fans dressed up in a Christmas theme during the first quarter of a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field.
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Overview

  • The NFL will play two games on Christmas Day 2024, despite it falling on a Wednesday, marking the fifth consecutive year the league has scheduled games on the holiday.
  • High viewership ratings from previous Christmas Day games have influenced the NFL's decision to continue scheduling holiday games, with last year's games drawing more than 27 million viewers each.
  • The NFL's move encroaches on the NBA's traditional dominance of Christmas Day sports programming, as football games significantly outpace basketball in viewership.
  • Teams playing on Christmas will have played the previous Saturday, allowing for a short recovery period similar to the turnaround for Thursday night games.
  • The NFL's decision reflects its flexibility in scheduling and willingness to adjust for high-profile games, despite previous assertions that it would not schedule games on Wednesdays when Christmas falls on that day.