The NFL showed everyone that it is still by far the richest sports league in the world and attracts the most eyeballs when they brought on Beyoncé to perform at halftime for the Christmas game.
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Do leagues like the NBA have the capability to get top performers like Beyoncé to perform for them? Cam Newton doesn’t think so.
“The NBA don’t have enough money to get Beyonce to perform. The NBA don’t have enough money to offer Beyonce to do a performance. Meanwhile, the NFL don’t even have to pay Beyonce to do a performance. “
Cam argued that the NFL’s massive spectacle attracts so many viewers and generates such high engagement that the league doesn’t even need to pay performers. Instead, artists profit from the exposure and engagement they receive. This, according to Newton, is one of the reasons the NFL outshines the NBA.
However, Cam’s co-host, Omari Penny Collins, disagreed. He pointed to the presence of notable stars and celebrities at NBA games and emphasized the league’s global reach. Penny argued that the NBA could easily afford to pay performers like Beyoncé, but doing so wouldn’t align with the league’s structure.
Unlike the NFL, not every basketball game carries do-or-die stakes. The NBA’s playoff series format lacks the kind of one-and-done intensity that would justify inviting high-profile performers. Penny believes if the NBA were to change its knockout structure, it might make sense to bring in stars.
The NFL, on the other hand, thrives on anticipation and high stakes. Every game, whether in the regular season or postseason, carries weight. This is why football consistently draws higher viewership than basketball during events like Christmas Day.
Cam Newton says Chrismas belongs to the NFL
Before Christmas, LeBron James made a bold statement, declaring that while he loves football, Christmas Day belongs to the NBA. However, the final viewership numbers tell a different story. The NBA averaged 5.25 million viewers for its Christmas games, while the two NFL matchups drew an average of 24.2 million viewers, highlighting a significant gap in popularity between the two sports.
Newton weighed in, attributing the NFL’s dominance to its ability to consistently attract top-tier talent, even without a global presence. He argued that the growth of any league depends on its capacity to develop and showcase star power.
The NBA, he noted, has long relied on the global appeal of LeBron James, who, at 40, can no longer command the same attention. In contrast, the NFL boasts a deep roster of stars who continue to drive massive viewership.
“Sports and organizations, it is run and operated by talent and skill set. Golf went to shit after Tiger Woods left. LeBron pushing 40 now. You need someone of his star power to play. You need those talents to be global stars, not just regional stars. But the thing about the NFL is that we have so much star power we don’t necessarily need global stars because we have actual stars.”
While the NBA offers better contracts overall, thanks to its smaller rosters, it’s the NFL that dominates viewership by delivering unmatched thrill and intensity—something the NBA’s 82-game season struggles to provide. So is Cam right? Does Christmas truly belong to the NFL? The numbers speak for themselves.
