Disney+ Sends First Two Episodes of ‘The Santa Clauses’ to Broadcast, Cable Networks
Christmas is just days away, and Disney+ is doing everything it can to manifest the spirit of the season. The service has announced that it will air the first two episodes of its new series “The Santa Clauses” on linear channels ABC, Disney Channel, Freeform, and FX.
The series is a continuation of the “Santa Clause” film franchise of the 1990s and early 2000s. Tim Allen returns as Scott Calvin, aka Santa Claus, who is ready to retire from the flying sleigh and pass the mantle to a successor. But finding the new Santa is a grave responsibility, and Scott soon finds that naming the next Kris Kringle won’t be as easy as he’d hoped.
In addition to Allen, the series features Elizabeth Mitchell as Carol (Mrs. Claus), Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra, Devin Bright as Noel, Austin Kane as Cal, Matilda Lawler as Betty, Rupali Redd as Grace, and Kal Penn as Simon Choksi.
“The Santa Clauses” had been a Disney+ exclusive, but in order to boost its profile and maximize holiday viewing time the service is releasing its first two episodes on broadcast and cable TV. The viewing schedule for each network is as follows:
- Freeform: Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. EST (following a special marathon of the “Santa Clause” movie trilogy)
- FX: Saturday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m. EST
- ABC: Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at 3:30 p.m. EST
- Disney Channel: Christmas Day, Dec. 25 at 7 p.m. EST
The move to air the first two episodes of “The Santa Clauses” on linear channels demonstrates yet again the power of Disney as a media conglomerate. By putting content exclusive to its streaming service on broadcast and pay-TV channels it owns, Disney is bringing more eyes to both the linear and streaming sides of its business.
This is not the first time that Disney+ has used its linear networks to promote a streaming exclusive show in 2022. At Thanksgiving, the service released the first two episodes of its latest live-action Star Wars series “Andor” on ABC, Freeform, FX, and Hulu. That series is much less geared toward younger audiences than most Star Wars projects, so it did not get a Disney Channel release as “The Santa Clauses” will.
If you and your family need a little extra holiday magic this season, but you’re not Disney+ subscribers, never fear. “The Santa Clauses” will soon be here, starting Friday, Dec. 16 on Freeform.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Disney Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Freeform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”