Netflix Dominates New Holiday Movie Streaming Releases; Where You Can Stream the Most In-Demand Holiday Classics?
The number of days until Christmas are dwindling, and media companies have unleashed their lineups of holiday movies on their eager, festive fans. Now, thanks to a new report from television and streaming measurement company Samba TV, companies and viewers have new insight into which holiday movies are being enjoyed most.
Samba’s research shows that from the period of Nov. 8 through Dec. 11, Netflix’s Christmas movies “Falling For Christmas,” starring Lindsay Lohan, and “The Noel Diary” were standouts among this year’s new streaming holiday movies, driving 3.2 million and 2.8 million household views respectively.
Those two were the only new holiday movies on streaming platforms to surpass 1.5M households within that time frame. The top-performing new streaming movie outside of Netflix’s catalog was “Spirited” on Apple TV+, which drove 1.4M views throughout the period.
“Nothing evokes the holiday season quite like Christmas movies,” Samba TV co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin said. “Gone are the days where the only way to watch a handful of holiday movies was tuning into the broadcast networks. Now we have hundreds of holiday-themed movies and specials at our fingertips via streamers like Netflix and Disney+ which are re-airing many of the old classics we love, while also featuring entirely new made-for-streaming releases. Whether you’re looking to share laughs with the Griswolds or re-visit the ultimate yippee-ki-yay Christmas classic “Die Hard,” there is certainly something for everyone this season and the increase in viewership highlights the demand audiences have for these classic holiday comfort movies.”
Despite the high regard for these new Christmas movies, classics are the most in-demand holiday streaming content in 2022. The most-watched movie in the leadup to Christmas was the ’80s classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” viewed by 8.6M U.S. households. “Home Alone” followed closely behind with 8.4M households and Will Ferrell’s “Elf” nabbed 7.9M households.
Indeed, holiday classics are bringing out the spirit of the season more in 2022 than they did in 2021. Eleven out of the 15 top-streamed holiday classics all drove more viewership between Nov. 8 and Dec. 11 in 2022 than 2021. “Christmas Vacation,” “Home Alone,” and “Elf” saw year-over-year increases of 8%, 59%, and 224%, respectively.
Related: Holiday Movie Roundup: All of the Christmas Films from Hallmark, Great American Family, Lifetime, Netflix, More
The report from Samba also showed which age groups were watching which films. The older millennial age group (age 35-44) over-indexed across all 11 of the top new streaming holiday movies measured between Nov. 8 and Dec. 11. Meanwhile, the age 55-64 group over-indexed on almost all holiday classics, while under-indexing across the majority of new streaming releases.
Where to Watch the Most In-Demand New Christmas Movies and Holiday Classics
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Die Hard
July 15, 1988NYPD cop John McClane’s plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her office, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.
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Elf
October 9, 2003When young Buddy falls into Santa’s gift sack on Christmas Eve, he’s transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa’s helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can’t shake the nagging feeling that he doesn’t belong. Buddy (Will Ferrell) vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic publisher (James Caan).
If you love this holiday treat, check out Netflix’s “Movies That Made Us” to learn more about the making of this modern classic.
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Falling for Christmas
November 10, 2022An engaged, spoiled hotel heiress finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner and his precocious daughter after getting amnesia in a skiing accident.
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Home Alone
November 16, 1990Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister makes the most of the situation after his family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on Christmas vacation. But when a pair of bungling burglars set their sights on Kevin’s house, the plucky kid stands ready to defend his territory. By planting booby traps galore, adorably mischievous Kevin stands his ground as his frantic mother attempts to race home before Christmas Day.
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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
November 30, 1989It’s Christmastime, and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration. But things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen, and their two kids. Clark’s continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going, knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.
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The Noel Diary
November 24, 2022Cleaning out his childhood home at Christmas, a novelist meets a woman searching for her birth mother. Will an old diary unlock their pasts — and hearts?
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Spirited
November 10, 2022Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future.
