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Holiday TV specials 2025: A complete schedule of how to watch your favorite classics
Your viewing guide for 2025 holiday TV specials, from Charlie Brown to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Whether you’ve been channel-surfing on cable or scrolling through the newest options on your favorite streaming platform, one thing is clear: When it comes to viewing options, the holiday season has once again started early. Dozens of the 100+ new 2025 holiday movies have already debuted on Hallmark and Netflix, and the seasonal holiday TV specials have begun to crop up as well.
Whether you’re looking forward to cozying up on the couch to watch “Frosty the Snowman” or trying to figure out how to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” we’ve got you covered.
Here is the full schedule for holiday TV specials to watch in 2025.
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(All times listed are in EST.)
How to watch “Frosty the Snowman” (1969)
In previous years, the beloved 1969 Rankin/Bass classic “Frosty the Snowman” would air first on CBS, followed by subsequent reruns on Freeform. Last year was the first time that NBC obtained the rights for Rankin and Bass holiday specials like “Frosty” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and that remains true for 2025 as well.
NBC will broadcast “Frosty the Snowman” for the first time in 2025 on Thursday, December 4 at 8:30 p.m., and will re-air the special on Tuesday, December 9 at 8 p.m.
Freeform will also air “Frosty the Snowman” several times throughout the 2025 holiday season:
- Saturday, December 6 at 8:35 p.m.
- Sunday, December 7 at 2:55 p.m.
- Thursday, December 18 at 9:20 p.m.
- Friday, December 19 at 3:35 p.m.
- Sunday, December 21 at 5:10 p.m.
- Monday, December 22 at 2:40 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 24 at 9:20 p.m.
- Christmas Day at 4:30 p.m.
How to watch “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
The 1964 Rankin/Bass special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” also moved from CBS to NBC in 2024, marking the first time the special didn’t air on CBS in 60 years.
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NBC has the rights again this year, and will broadcast “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for the first time in 2025 on Friday, December 5 at 8 p.m., and will re-air the special on Thursday, December 11 at 8 p.m.
From there, Freefrom will provide an additional eight opportunities to watch “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in 2025:
- Saturday, December 6 at 9:10 p.m.
- Sunday, December 7 at 3:30 p.m.
- Thursday, December 18 at 8:15 p.m.
- Friday, December 19 at 4:10 p.m.
- Sunday, December 21 at 5:45 p.m.
- Monday, December 22 at 1:35 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 24 at 8:15 p.m.
- Christmas Day at 5 p.m.
How to watch “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966)
The Grinch isn’t waiting patiently in his effort to steal Christmas cheer in 2025: The first airing of the animated 1966 special featuring Boris Karloff will be simulcast on SYFY, E!, and USA on Friday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m.
For those who don’t have cable, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” will be broadcast on NBC on Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m. and again on Christmas Day at 8 p.m.
There are fewer opportunities to watch the special than last year, when TBS and TNT had a number of mid-December airings. Here are all of the times you can watch “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966).
- Friday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m. (E!, USA, SYFY)
- Friday, November 28 at 11 p.m. (E!)
- Saturday, November 29 at 1:30 a.m. (USA)
- Saturday, November 29 at 9 a.m. (SYFY)
- Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m. (NBC)
- Christmas Day at 8 p.m. (NBC)
How to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Unfortunately, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will not be broadcast on television in 2025, as Apple has the exclusive rights to all of the Peanuts specials through 2030. The easiest way to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is to have an Apple TV subscription.
For those who don’t have a subscription, however, Apple TV will let you watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for free on December 13 and 14.
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With those classics covered, here is the full list of holiday specials to watch on TV or streaming platforms.
2025 Holiday TV Specials Schedule
ABC
“Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol”: Sunday, November 30 at 9 p.m.
“Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” (2017): Sunday, November 30 at 9:30 p.m.
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (1970): Sunday, November 30 at 10 p.m.
“The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular”: Monday, December 1 at 8 p.m.
“Dancing with the Holidays”: Tuesday, December 2 at 8 p.m.
“CMA Country Christmas”: Tuesday, December 2 at 9 p.m.
“The Great Christmas Light Fight”: Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
“Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas”: Tuesday, December 9 at 8 p.m.
“iHeart Radio Jingle Ball 2025”: Wednesday, December 17 at 8 p.m.
“40th Anniversary Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”: Christmas Day at 10 a.m.
CBS
“The Thanksgiving Parade on CBS”: Thursday, November 27 at 9 a.m.
“Paw Patrol Christmas Special”: Friday, November 28 at 8 p.m.
“Reindeer in Here” (2022): Saturday, December 6 at 8 p.m.
NBC
“The 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”: Thursday, November 27 at 8:30 a.m.
“National Dog Show”: Thursday, November 27 at noon
“Christmas in Rockefeller Center”: Wednesday, December 3 at 8 p.m.
“Christmas in Nashville”: Wednesday, December 3 at 10 p.m.
“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966): Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m.; Christmas Day at 8 p.m.
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“Frosty the Snowman” (1969): Thursday, December 4 at 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday, December 9 at 8 p.m.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964): Friday, December 5 at 8 p.m.; Thursday, December 11 at 8 p.m.
“Shrek the Halls” (2007): Tuesday, December 9 at 8:30 p.m.; Wednesday, December 17 at 8 p.m.
“A Motown Christmas”: Tuesday, December 9 at 9 p.m.
“Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular”: Wednesday, December 17 at 9 p.m.
“A Saturday Night Live Christmas”: Thursday, December 18 at 9 p.m., Monday, December 22 at 9 p.m.
“Christmas Eve Mass from St. Peter’s Basilica”: Tuesday, December 24 at 11:30 p.m.
What's your all-time favorite holiday movie?
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