Charles Barkley blasts NFL for Christmas Day games

NFL

Charles Barkley blasts NFL for Christmas Day games

The NFL had three games on Christmas Day this year

Ryan Gaydos Fox News

Published

December 25, 2025 8:50pm EST

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The NFL playing games on Christmas Day is a relatively new phenomenon.

Usually, the NFL has owned Thanksgiving Day aside from the games that are played on Sundays and Mondays. But this year, the NFL partnered with Netflix to have two games during the day and a game on Amazon Prime Video at night. The games are up against the NBA, which has owned the holiday on TV for several years.

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Charles Barkley stands in the second tee box during the first round of the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on July 11, 2025 in Stateline, Nevada. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

The NFL’s encroachment on the NBA is something that appeared to irk Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.

"The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games. We used to have this day to ourselves, but Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now," Barkley said on ESPN as the NBA’s schedule got started. "Christmas is an NBA day."

Barkley previously blasted the NFL in January 2024 for having an exclusive Peacock game during the playoffs.

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He said at the time that showing a playoff game on streaming was "low class."

"That’s not cool, they’re just being greedy pigs," he said on ESPN Radio at the time. "I’m glad some NFL players are taking some shots at them … I know the NFL is the biggest thing in the world, but to put this game on Peacock and make people have to buy Peacock, that’s just low class. I’m disgusted."

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The NFL’s domination over the sports conversation is only going to grow should the league and players agree to an 18th game. The notion had been floated in recent years with the possibility of the Super Bowl moving to Presidents’ Day.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Charles Barkley blasts NFL for Christmas Day games