DAILY DIRT: NFL’s TV numbers on Christmas Day put a lump of coal in NBA stockings

Daily Dirt for Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024

Sorry about that, LeBron … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,158 of The Daily Dirt.

1. For those who may have still doubted that the NFL is king when it comes to televised sports in the U.S., you might want to check this out.

The recent Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix set records as the most streamed games in U.S. history — with numbers that basically obliterated the NBA. (That same day, LeBron James said, “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.” Wrong again, LeBron.)

The Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ 29-10 win at the Pittsburgh Steelers averaged 24.1 million, according to figures released by Nielsen late in the week. Nielsen also said there were 65 million U.S. viewers who tuned in for at least one minute of one of the two games.

The NBA’s five-game Christmas slate averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and its platforms, according to the league and Nielsen

The viewer figures include the audience on Netflix, mobile viewership on NFL+ and those who tuned in on CBS stations in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Houston.

Global ratings and final U.S. numbers are expected to be available Tuesday.

Once global and Netflix’s first-party data is released, both Christmas games should surpass 30 million.

2. Did you know that (Part 230)

• That tomatoes are the third-highest ranked vegetable, in terms of containing nicotine.
• That green tomatoes have 10 times the amount of nicotine as red tomatoes.
• That bell peppers, cauliflower, celery, zucchini and other “nightshade” vegetables have the second-highest amount of nicotine, runner-up only to tobacco.
• That white potatoes (potato chips, French fries, mashed potatoes and baked potatoes), are also a member of the nightshade family.
• That you can rest a little easier, however, knowing that a single cigarette contains around 18,000 times more nicotine than a potato.

3. This week’s celebrity birthdays include:

• Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Sandy Koufax will be 89 on Monday
• Actress Julianne Moore turns 64, also on Monday
• Golfer Tiger Woods will also celebrate Monday. He’ll be 49.
• All-time NBA scoring leader LeBron James will be 40 on … yep, another Monday birthday.
• Actor Val Kilmer turns 65 on Tuesday.

Steve Thought O’ The Day – Well, here’s a treat — and the term is used loosely — I bet you have never tried. “Pizza crunch” is a popular dish in Scotland, made by dipping a frozen pizza in batter, deep-frying it until crispy and serving it with salt, vinegar or gravy. Is it just me, or is there not one thing about that item that sounds the least bit appetizing? 

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Thin crust is the only crunch I want associated with pizza.