“There are many people who don’t celebrate Christmas in a traditional way from a cultural point of view, and so providing an entertainment option for them is good, and then also for people who perhaps Christmas Day is a lonely day on their calendar,” he said.
“There will be some people who who don’t like that we play on Christmas Day in the same way that they don’t like that other sports may play on Good Friday or on Anzac Day and we’re a very inclusive sport, and so we respect all of those opinions,” the former AFL executive said.
The first Christmas game between Sydney and Melbourne two years ago was the most watched game of that NBL regular season, and last year’s double-header ranked in the top five highest-viewed games of last regular season according to Stevenson.
Basketball on Christmas Day: NBL sticks with popular experiment The NBL wants to become the family for those who don’t have any on Christmas, after hailing the success of its experiments in playing matches on one of Australia’s last remaining sport-free days.
The Tasmania JackJumpers and Sydney Kings will host games on 25 December this year, offering evening entertainment on a day that has traditionally been reserved for family time.
