Why does the NFL have significantly higher TV viewership than the NBA?

The NFL's dominance stems from multiple factors: (1) Scarcity value—only 17 games per season vs. NBA's 82 games makes each game a major event; (2) Cultural timing—NFL peaks during fall/winter holidays when viewership is highest; (3) Broader appeal—67.88% of U.S. sports viewers watch NFL vs. 55% for NBA; (4) Production quality—Nielsen's upgraded OOH (out-of-home) tracking in 2025-2026 now captures bar/restaurant viewing, historically underreported for sports broadcasts. The NFL's Christmas Day average of 23 million viewers dwarfs the NBA's ~5.75 million.

Has the NBA's viewership been declining compared to the NFL?

Yes, the data shows relative decline. The NBA Finals have failed to reach the top 100 U.S. sporting events for 6 consecutive years (2020-2025), while the 2025 Finals Game 7 drew only 16.61 million viewers. This contrasts sharply with the NFL's record-breaking performances: the 2025 Thanksgiving CBS broadcast (Chiefs-Cowboys) averaged 57.23 million viewers, a 36% increase over the previous regular-season record. However, the NBA still captures 55% of U.S. sports viewership, indicating it remains a major player despite trailing the NFL's 67.88% share.

Which league is better for consistent viewership throughout the year?

The NBA offers superior consistent viewership due to its 82-game schedule spanning October through June, providing weekly content across fall, winter, and spring. The NFL's 17-game schedule concentrates viewership in fall/winter (September-February), with only off-season training camp coverage in summer. From a broadcaster's perspective, the NBA provides more frequent monetizable content opportunities, while the NFL generates higher per-game audiences and cultural impact during peak viewing seasons.

What is the average monthly cost to watch both NBA and NFL games in 2026?

Total live sports viewership costs average $122.93 per household per month, broken down as $79.80 for traditional pay TV (cable/satellite) and $43.13 for on-demand streaming services. The NFL commands 67.88% of sports viewership market allocation, translating to approximately $83.22/month, while the NBA's 55% share represents roughly $67.61/month. Budget-conscious viewers can use over-the-air antennas for local broadcasts plus live TV streaming services. Only 7% of fans rely primarily on bars/restaurants, though Nielsen's upgraded tracking now includes this out-of-home viewership.

Why did the NFL's 2025 Thanksgiving game break viewership records?

The CBS Chiefs-Cowboys broadcast achieved 57.23 million viewers (36% above the previous regular-season record) due to three factors: (1) Marquee matchup—Kansas City Chiefs (defending champs) vs. Dallas Cowboys (iconic franchise); (2) Holiday timing—Thanksgiving Day captures maximum family/social viewing; (3) Nielsen methodology upgrade—the implementation of enhanced OOH (out-of-home) tracking across all U.S. TV markets in 2025-2026 more accurately captured bar, restaurant, and public venue viewership that was previously underreported. NFL EVP Hans Schroeder specifically credited Nielsen's expanded tracking capabilities for the record-breaking accuracy.

NBA vs NFL TV Viewership 2025-2026

Updated March 31, 2026

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Professional basketball league with 30 teams, 82-game regular season, and global reach

Fans seeking consistent content throughout fall, winter, and spring; international sports enthusiasts; fantasy league participants

NFL (National Football League)

Professional American football league with 32 teams, 17-game regular season, and peak cultural moments

Advertisers targeting maximum U.S. audiences; casual sports fans; viewers seeking peak entertainment moments; sports bars and restaurants with 7% of sports viewership

Short Answer

The NFL dominates U.S. television viewership with an average of 23 million viewers for Christmas Day games—approximately 4x the NBA's audience—and commands 67.88% of sports viewership market share compared to the NBA's 55%, making the NFL the most-watched sports league in America.

Our Verdict

The NFL decisively leads in total viewership and audience concentration, commanding 4x higher Christmas Day audiences and 67.88% of U.S. sports viewership. The NBA captures 55% of sports viewers and offers more frequent games (82 vs 17 per season), providing consistent content but smaller per-game audiences. Choose NFL if maximum audience reach and peak event viewership matter; choose NBA if consistent year-round games and longer season engagement are priorities.

NBA (National Basketball Association)7

8NFL (National Football League)

Choose NBA (National Basketball Association) if

Key Differences at a Glance

📅

Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025: NFL (National Football League) wins (~23 million vs ~5.75 million)

🔹

U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share: NFL (National Football League) wins (67.88% vs 55%)

🔹

Thanksgiving Day Regular Season Record (CBS Chiefs-Cowboys): NFL (National Football League) wins (57.23 million viewers vs No comparable event)

See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

Metric	NBA (National Basketball Association)	NFL (National Football League)	Diff
Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025(million viewers)	~5.75 million	~23 million	-75%
U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share 2025-2026(percent)	55%	67.88%	-19%
Regular Season Games Per Year(games)	82 games

Key Differences

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Attribute

NFL (National Football League)

~5.75 million

Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025

~23 million🏆

55%

U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share

67.88%🏆

No comparable event

Thanksgiving Day Regular Season Record (CBS Chiefs-Cowboys)

57.23 million viewers

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Last updated: March 31, 2026AI generated

Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025

NBA (National Basketball Association)

~5.75 million

NFL (National Football League)

~23 million🏆

U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share

NBA (National Basketball Association)

55%

NFL (National Football League)

67.88%🏆

Thanksgiving Day Regular Season Record (CBS Chiefs-Cowboys)

NBA (National Basketball Association)

No comparable event

NFL (National Football League)

57.23 million viewers🏆

2025 Finals/Championship Viewership Peak

NBA (National Basketball Association)

16.61 million (Game 7)

NFL (National Football League)

90.75 million (Super Bowl LIX)🏆

Consecutive Years Missing Top 100 Events

NBA (National Basketball Association)

6 consecutive years

NFL (National Football League)

Not applicable🏆

Regular Season Record Growth Rate

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Declining

NFL (National Football League)

36% increase over previous record🏆

Games Per Regular Season

NBA (National Basketball Association)

82 games🏆

NFL (National Football League)

17 games

Full Comparison

Attribute	NBA (National Basketball Association)	NFL (National Football League)

Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025(million viewers)	~5.75 million	~23 million
Peak Championship Viewership(million viewers)	16.61 million (2025 Finals Game 7)	90.75 million (Super Bowl LIX)
Record-Breaking Game Average Viewership(million viewers)	No recent record (declining trend)	57.23 million (CBS Thanksgiving 2025)

U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share 2025-2026(percent)	55%	67.88%

Regular Season Games Per Year(games)	82 games	17 games

Years Without Top 100 Event Placement(consecutive years)	6 years (2020-2025)	Not applicable

Estimated Monthly Household Live Sports Budget Allocation(USD per month)	~$67.61 (55% of $122.93)	~$83.22 (67.88% of $122.93)

NBA (National Basketball Association)

NFL (National Football League)

Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025(million viewers)

~5.75 million

~23 million

Peak Championship Viewership(million viewers)

16.61 million (2025 Finals Game 7)

90.75 million (Super Bowl LIX)

Record-Breaking Game Average Viewership(million viewers)

No recent record (declining trend)

57.23 million (CBS Thanksgiving 2025)

U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share 2025-2026(percent)

55%

67.88%

Regular Season Games Per Year(games)

82 games

17 games

Years Without Top 100 Event Placement(consecutive years)

6 years (2020-2025)

Not applicable

Estimated Monthly Household Live Sports Budget Allocation(USD per month)

~$67.61 (55% of $122.93)

~$83.22 (67.88% of $122.93)

Pros & Cons

NBA (National Basketball Association)

4 pros2 cons

Pros

82-game regular season provides consistent weekly viewing content from October through June
Global viewership appeal with international superstars (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama)
NBA Finals Games 6-7 still attract 16+ million viewers despite broader competition
Year-round media coverage and fantasy basketball engagement

Cons

Christmas Day games average only ~5.75 million viewers, 75% below NFL's Christmas audience
Zero representation in top 100 U.S. sporting events for 6 consecutive years (2020-2025)

NFL (National Football League)

5 pros2 cons

Pros

Christmas Day average of 23 million viewers—4x higher than NBA's holiday audience
Dominates 67.88% of U.S. sports viewership market share, significantly ahead of all competitors
CBS Thanksgiving Chiefs-Cowboys game averaged 57.23 million viewers (36% above previous regular-season record)
Super Bowl LIX delivered 90.75 million viewers, ensuring championship-level cultural saturation
Nielsen OOH (Out-of-Home) tracking upgrades in 2025-2026 provide more accurate viewership data

Full Comparison

Attribute	NBA (National Basketball Association)	NFL (National Football League)

Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025(million viewers)	~5.75 million	~23 million
Peak Championship Viewership(million viewers)	16.61 million (2025 Finals Game 7)	90.75 million (Super Bowl LIX)
Record-Breaking Game Average Viewership(million viewers)	No recent record (declining trend)	57.23 million (CBS Thanksgiving 2025)

U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share 2025-2026(percent)	55%	67.88%

Regular Season Games Per Year(games)	82 games	17 games

Years Without Top 100 Event Placement(consecutive years)	6 years (2020-2025)	Not applicable

Estimated Monthly Household Live Sports Budget Allocation(USD per month)	~$67.61 (55% of $122.93)	~$83.22 (67.88% of $122.93)

NBA (National Basketball Association)

NFL (National Football League)

Christmas Day Average Viewership 2025(million viewers)

~5.75 million

~23 million

Peak Championship Viewership(million viewers)

16.61 million (2025 Finals Game 7)

90.75 million (Super Bowl LIX)

Record-Breaking Game Average Viewership(million viewers)

No recent record (declining trend)

57.23 million (CBS Thanksgiving 2025)

U.S. Sports Viewership Market Share 2025-2026(percent)

55%

67.88%

Regular Season Games Per Year(games)

82 games

17 games

Years Without Top 100 Event Placement(consecutive years)

6 years (2020-2025)

Not applicable

Estimated Monthly Household Live Sports Budget Allocation(USD per month)

~$67.61 (55% of $122.93)

~$83.22 (67.88% of $122.93)

NBA vs NFL TV Viewership 2025-2026

NBA (National Basketball Association)

NFL (National Football League)

Short Answer

Our Verdict

Key Differences at a Glance

Key Facts & Figures

Key Differences

Related Comparisons

Explore Entities

More Sports

People Also Compare

Full Comparison

Visual Comparison

Pros & Cons

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Pros

Cons

NFL (National Football League)

Pros

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources & Learn More

Wikipedia

Videos

Full Comparison

Visual Comparison

Cons