Get in the spirit with 24-hour marathon of ‘A Christmas Story’
Get in the spirit with 24-hour marathon of ‘A Christmas Story’
This annual tradition returns to TNT and TBS this weekend, and we’ll show you how to stream it!
One of the most beloved Christmas movies of the last half-century is back for the holidays — marathon style! “A Christmas Story” will run for 24 consecutive hours on both TNT and TBS this weekend, starting Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT, and on the same day at 8 p.m. on TBS. The best way to catch this continuous presentation of the Christmas classic is with a subscription to Sling TV.
How to watch ‘A Christmas Story’ 24-hour marathon
- When: Begins Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. (TBS), 9 p.m. (TNT)
- TV: TBS, TNT
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about ‘A Christmas Story’ 24-hour marathon
What time does ‘A Christmas Story’ 24-hour marathon start?
“A Christmas Story” will begin playing at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 24 on TBS, and continue airing repeatedly until 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 25. The film will also begin playing at 9 p.m. ET on Christmas Eve on TNT, and go on through 9 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Why do we recommend watching ‘A Christmas Story’ 24-hour marathon on Sling TV?
If you want to participate in this beloved holiday tradition this year, Sling TV offers a great way to watch the marathon of “A Christmas Story” at a price even the tightest budget will love. Viewers can watch TNT and TBS with both the Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans, and Sling offers the ability to sign up for Sling Orange for just $5 per day with its Passes.
That means viewers can opt to watch just a viewing or two of “A Christmas Story,” or enjoy the whole marathon (plus everything else in the Sling Orange plan) for just $5 for 24 hours. Alternatively, you can sign up for either the Sling Orange or Sling Blue packages and watch the “A Christmas Story” marathon and all other channels within, starting at a modest price of $46 monthly. The choice is yours with Sling TV!
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.
Can you watch ‘A Christmas Story’ 24-hour marathon for free?
There are a few streaming services that carry TNT and TBS, which offer free trials you can use to stream the “A Christmas Story” marathon if you’re a new customer.
DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial to new subscribers who sign up to receive a channel plan through their own streaming device. TNT and TBS are found in all DIRECTV Signature channel packages, as well as the MySports Genre Pack.
Hulu + Live TV includes a three-day trial of three days for all new subscribers.
YouTube TV offers a trial between two and 21 days, depending on numerous factors like promotions and time of the month.
What are all the services you can use to stream ‘A Christmas Story’ marathon?
You can stream the 24-hour “A Christmas Story” marathon on TBS or TNT with a subscription to DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV. Of these choices, however, we prefer Sling TV because of the price and flexibility offered, as discussed above.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| TBS | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TNT | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Watch a trailer for ‘A Christmas Story’
What is ‘A Christmas Story’ about?
The 1983 holiday classic ‘A Christmas Story’ is set in the 1940s and follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker during the weeks leading up to Christmas as he becomes determined to find a Red Ryder BB gun under the tree. Narrated by an adult Ralphie, the story retells some of the highs and lows of his life before Christmas from incidents with his family, at school, and around the neighborhood, including run-ins with bullies, classroom punishments, and repeated warnings from adults that if he got a Red Ryder BB gun would, he would, “Shoot your eye out.”
Originally released to modest box office success, “A Christmas Story” has grown into a cult classic and then into a full-on holiday tradition, thanks to its frequent TV airings, and, of course, the now-iconic 24-hour broadcast marathons.
The movie stars Peter Billingsley as Ralphie, with Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin portraying his parents, often referred to as the Old Man and Ralphie’s mother. As TNT and TBS embark on their annual marathon, prepare to revisit Ralphie’s visit with a department store Santa, the arrival of a mysterious leg lamp prize, and the family’s Christmas dinner mishap at a Chinese restaurant.
A Christmas Story
The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.