The NFL remains the king of kings.

Unlike the NBA’s action-packed slate, the 2025 NFL Christmas games certainly weren’t that dramatic whatsoever. But in terms of ratings? It wasn’t even a contest.

For the fifth straight year, fans were treated to multiple NFL Christmas games. But the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos-Kansas City Chiefs games didn’t bring the development that so many had hoped.

Washington was forced to play third-string quarterback Josh Johnson. The Vikings were down to Max Brosmer. With Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew II both sidelined, KC had to run out third-string QB Chris Oladokun.

Despite the lack of drama in the NFL Christmas Games? The NFL blew the NBA out of the water in terms of ratings. Each contest had at least 19.9 million viewers, with the Lions-Vikings game leading the way at 27.5 million, per Ari Meirov.

Among the five highly anticipated NBA Christmas Day games, the San Antonio Spurs-Oklahoma City Thunder game led the way with 6.7 million.

And to think ratings would have likely been higher if Patrick Mahomes hadn’t suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Considering the Broncos were the only one of those six teams in the playoff mix? The NFL will take those ratings any day.

NFL & Netflix Have An Easy Decision To Extend Their Deal

NFL Christmas Day football (Image Credits: Imagn)
In 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix was paying the NFL $75 million per Christmas Day game that they exclusively streamed. Netflix aired two NFL Christmas games in both 2024 and 2025, with Amazon Prime Video broadcasting the Broncos-Chiefs contest.

Despite the competition from the NBA, the NFL had no issue racking up tremendous ratings. And again, the numbers would have been higher if they hadn’t had three lackluster games on the schedule.

The NFL-Netflix Christmas game deal is in effect through the 2026 season. However, the two sides have an easy decision to make regarding renewing their agreement for 2027 and beyond.

Luka Doncic ‘destroys’ the Mavs on his return. Gets standing ovation and shows love to Mark Cuban

Luka Doncic hits 45 points in his first game in Dallas since being traded to the Los Angeles.

It’s rare for a home crowd to cheer the visiting team, but Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas was no ordinary night.

Just days before February’s trade deadline, the Mavericks shocked the NBA by sending their 26-year-old superstar to the Lakers—a move that outraged fans and sparked backlash toward GM Nico Harrison.

On Wednesday, Doncic played his first game back in Dallas since the trade. The arena was filled with fans in both his old Mavs and new Lakers jerseys, many chanting “Fire Nico” in protest.

Despite the emotion in the air, Doncic delivered a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 112-97 win. It was a powerful return for one of the league’s brightest stars—and a night Dallas won’t soon forget

The Mavericks pay tribute to Luka Dončić

While the Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic remains heavily criticized, they handled his return to Dallas with undeniable grace. The organization made sure his first game back as a Laker was met with respect and appreciation.

Every seat in the arena was draped with a T-shirt reading “Hvala za vse,” which translates from Slovenian to “thank you for everything.” It was a thoughtful nod to Doncic’s heritage and impact on the franchise.

Before tip-off, during the starting lineup announcements, the Mavericks played a tribute video showcasing some of Doncic’s most iconic moments in a Dallas jersey. The emotional gesture clearly resonated—moving Doncic to tears in front of the crowd that once called him their own.

Luka Doncic ‘DESTROYS’ his old team

Luka delivered a dazzling performance against his former team, putting up 45 points on 16-of-28 shooting, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a game that showed exactly why he’s one of the best in the league.

From the opening tip, Doncic was locked in. By halftime, Doncic had racked up 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting in just 19 minutes—marking the 10th time in his career he’s scored 30 or more in a single half.

Though his scoring slowed in the second half, he continued to lead effectively, securing both a Lakers win and an unforgettable showing for the fans in Dallas.