Yes, there are sports on Christmas Eve, but it’s a lighter schedule than Christmas Day and varies by year and country.

Big picture

On Christmas Eve you’ll usually find:

  • A few college football bowl games (often one featured matchup in the evening).
  • Some soccer/football leagues outside the U.S. may have matches close to, but not always on, December 24 depending on their winter break.
  • Occasional hockey or basketball club games, especially in Europe, though many top leagues schedule breaks around the 24–25th.

Many major U.S. leagues (like the NBA and NFL) focus their marquee events on Christmas Day itself rather than Christmas Eve.

Example: Christmas Eve football

Recent holiday schedules show:

  • A dedicated Hawai’i Bowl college football game traditionally slotted on Christmas Eve in the evening, televised nationally in the U.S.
  • This game is often the only American football matchup that day, making it a standalone event for fans wanting something to watch after daytime celebrations.

How it compares to Christmas Day

Christmas Day tends to be much busier:

  • Multiple NFL games spread across the afternoon and evening in some seasons.
  • A full slate of NBA games promoted as a holiday showcase.
  • Additional college football bowl games on or just after the 25th.

So, if you’re planning Christmas Eve viewing, expect at least one notable college football bowl and possibly some international soccer or club games, but the real all-day sports marathon is more likely on Christmas Day.

Meta description: Wondering “are there any sports on Christmas Eve”? Yes—typically a featured college football bowl game and some international club action, but the heavy holiday sports slate lands on Christmas Day.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.