The NBA officially announced its 2025 Christmas Day lineup, which showcased a strong slate of matchups that includes two Eastern Conference teams and eight sides from the West. This talent-stacked schedule aimed at capturing holiday viewership, but the competition from the NFL remains a looming presence.

The NFL, which has surged ahead in holiday ratings over recent years, will roll out three marquee games. All three will stream online, underscoring a strategic move that helped drive massive viewership in 2024. Last year, NFL Christmas games drew over 65 million viewers combined, dwarfing the NBA’s 5.25 million.

Skip Bayless weighed in on the growing gap. “What a strong Christmas Day NBA lineup on linear TV: Cavs-Knicks, Spurs-Thunder, Rockets-Lakers, Mavs-Warriors, TWolves-Nuggets

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