- Christmas movie supply on streaming services has surged, peaking in 2020.
- Holiday movies are a big revenue generator, a new study says.
- Demand typically begins in November and plummets after Christmas Day.
From time-tested classics like “Love Actually” to fresher fare like Netflix’s “Hot Frosty,” streaming viewer appetites for Christmas movies have grown massively over the years — and services are cashing in on the trend, according to a new study.
It’s a buzzy genre, accounting for a healthy chunk of overall ad revenues at genre forebearer Hallmark, which even operates a Christmas cruise business.
And Netflix, for its part, is becoming a formidable rival, with six holiday originals released this year alone. It’s amassed something of a Christmas cinematic universe with interconnected references in many of its projects.
A new study by data firm Parrot Analytics found that Christmas movie supply on streaming services — including classics and new films — has grown sixfold since 2000.
Growth peaked in 2020 at the height of the pandemic as viewers sought comfort. The firm looked at content on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Discovery+, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, and Starz.
After 2020, the growth of new Christmas movies has slowed.
Still, the holiday movie genre — including films themed around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s — has become increasingly lucrative.
According to Parrot Analytics, streamers generated $132 million from holiday movies in the fourth quarter of 2023. In the same quarter of 2021, that figure was $90 million, and it rose to $121 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Expectedly, Christmas movie demand begins in November and peaks on Christmas Day, after which viewership plummets. And while that peak has steadily grown since 2019, it has slowed somewhat in 2024, Parrot’s analysis showed.
This year, the most popular Christmas movie across platforms is Amazon’s “Red One” starring Dwayne Johnson, according to Parrot, which cited data from November 1 to December 14. Demand for the action flick is more than 50 times higher than the average movie, based on metrics like consumption data, consumer research, and social media interest, and sites like IMDb.
The next most in-demand movies are the first two “Home Alone” films, followed by “The Grinch” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” David Harbour’s “Violent Night” is sandwiched between a pair of classics: “The Polar Express” and “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Perhaps surprisingly, Netflix’s “Hot Frosty” is well down the list in 19th place despite seeming to stir up interest, suggesting that it’s not quite a Christmas classic yet.
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