If you look at the sports calendar this week, you will notice a busy slate for Christmas Day and almost nothing scheduled for Christmas Eve.
For a long time, the NBA maintained almost full control of live TV programming on the holiday. It is still widely considered an honor for your NBA team to play in one of the marque games on December 25.
But a few years ago, the NFL joined the party and wanted some of that attention as well. These days, there are multiple football games played on Christmas Day.
It is a really big deal for Netflix to have the streaming rights, and it will potentially take some eyes away from basketball played on ABC and ESPN.
The NBA missed an opportunity to showcase some marquee games on Christmas Eve. The league could have had the entire day to itself. They’ve got to creative in the football era we’re in —and this would have been a perfect opportunity to have good games all day with families at home
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 24, 2024
The NBA had record low ratings on Christmas Day in 2023 as the NFL dominated viewership last year. It is a continued clash of power between the leagues and its broadcasting partners. With the NFL likely the victor again in 2024, the NBA could have made an interesting decision.
They could have made a bold move and scheduled some games and had the sole spotlight on Christmas Eve.
With five games and 10 teams scheduled throughout the day on Wednesday, that still leaves two-thirds of the league who perhaps would have wanted a chance to have games played on national TV.
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Some teams, like the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder, have expressed legitimate frustration that they were not scheduled for Christmas Day in 2024.
But ultimately, it is probably a good thing that the league allows players to have the night off to spend either resting or with their families. Christmas Eve is one of just four days during the NBA calendar that the entire league has off, and it is surely appreciated.
The NBA has not played any game on Christmas Eve since the 1960s and has only ever scheduled two matches on the holiday.
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Maybe a couple of marque games would have performed solidly with a TV audience, which could have helped calm the nerves of those who remain so unnecessarily concerned about such maters.
But for players and staff of both teams and arenas, a well-earned day off does not hurt anyone either.
Fans may have wanted some sports to watch beyond the Hawaii Bowl, too. However, there are worse things to do than catch up on some movies or TV shows you may have missed or want to rewatch for alternative entertainment options.
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