Bottom line: Get ready for Freeform’s Christmas free-for-all
The 25 Days of Christmas movie marathon has been a cable staple since 1996, beginning on The Family Channel, which became FOX Family, then ABC Family, and now Freeform. The network may have changed hands more times than your aunt’s holiday fruitcake, but the December 1–25 Yuletide flick blitz(en) grows more popular every year.
Since CableTV.com doesn’t want you to miss a second of the 2020 edition of 25 Days of Christmas, we’ve rounded up the best (and least expensive) ways to get Freeform on cable, satellite, and livestreaming TV services. Spoiler: Freeform is owned by Disney, so it’s easier to find than an ugly Christmas sweater on Etsy.
Cheapest for Freeform: Sling TV
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Sling TV offers three color-coded livestreaming (i.e. internet-delivered) TV plans: Orange, Blue, and Orange + Blue.
At $30 a month, Sling TV’s Orange plan is the cheapest way to experience the 25 Days of Christmas marathon. Orange is Sling TV’s more Disney-centric plan; besides Freeform, its 30-channel lineup also includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and (of course) Disney Channel.
If you want to go with Sling TV’s combo Orange + Blue plan, which adds up to over 50 channels, it’s still a relatively inexpensive monthly layout of $45. But, if you’re looking only for Freeform, all you need is Sling Orange.
Sling TV isn’t the only livestreaming TV service that carries Freeform. YouTube TV (CableTV.com’s 2020 pick for Best Overall livestreamer), Hulu + Live TV (our Best Value pick), and fuboTV (our Best for Sports pick) all also stream Freeform.
Other livestreaming TV services that carry Freeform
Best cable for Freeform: Xfinity
* For the first 12 mos. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Xfinity is the most wide-reaching cable TV provider in the US, so we’re recommending it as a Freeform source. It’s available in 40 states, and Xfinity offers a wide variety of TV, internet, and bundle packages.
Xfinity’s Digital Starter plan is one of the provider’s most basic, featuring a little over 140 channels (including Freeform). If you’d prefer to watch 25 Days of Christmas on good ole cable TV, the Digital Starter plan is one of the least expensive out there.
But, if you’re in an area that Xfinity doesn’t cover, most every other cable provider across the country carries Freeform.
Other cable TV plans that carry Freeform
Best satellite for Freeform: DIRECTV
* Plus taxes. For 12 months w/24-mo. agmt. Autopay & Paperless bill req’d. Pay $45/mo plus taxes until discount starts. $93/mo. in months 13-24 (subject to change). Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
There’s not much competition in satellite TV—your choice is basically DIRECTV or DISH. Orby TV, a skinny-bundle satellite startup, is also an option, but not for the 25 Days of Christmas marathon: it doesn’t carry Freeform (Orby TV does have Christmas-happy channels Hallmark and Lifetime, though).
DIRECTV’s ENTERTAINMENT plan is initially $5 cheaper than DISH’s comparable package, but know that DIRECTV will go up in price after the first 12 months of its two-year contract. Bah, humbug.
DISH’s America’s Top 120 plan also has Freeform, as well as about 30 more channels than DIRECTV’s ENTERTAINMENT package—the “120” count is actually around 190. On the upside, DISH’s plan prices stay put for two years. On the downside, DISH can’t compete with DIRECTV’s sports coverage.
Other satellite TV plans that carry Freeform
- DISH—America’s Top 120 ($59.99/mo.*)
* For 24 months. Everyday price $67.99/mo.
Freeform app
If you subscribe to any of the above TV services, you can use your login credentials to access the livestreaming Freeform app or watch otherwise locked content at Freeform.com.
The app also gives you access to previously aired shows and movies—maybe Christmas isn’t your thing, and you’d rather just relive Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween. We get it.
The Freeform app is compatible with
- Apple TV and iOS devices
- Amazon Fire TV devices
- Android TV devices
- Google Chromecast
- Roku devices
- Samsung Smart TVs
Final take: Start your (25 Days of) Christmas vacation
Sling TV is the way to go if you’d rather spend your money on gift shopping instead of Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas. The no-contract livestreaming service’s Orange plan is just $30 a month and can be canceled at any time (like December 26—not that we’re advocating this).
If you’d rather get Freeform through standard cable or satellite, Xfinity’s Digital Starter package gives you over 140 cable channels for $70.99 a month, while DIRECTV’s ENTERTAINMENT satellite plan serves up over 160 channels for $54.99 a month. Both will lock you into a service contract, which isn’t a big deal if you’re already looking forward to next year’s 25 Days of Christmas party.
Grab the remote, warm up the hot chocolates (or toddies), and settle in for 600 hours of 25 Days of Christmas!
Best ways to watch 25 Days of Christmas FAQ
What movies are in this year’s 25 Days of Christmas schedule?
You can find the movie schedule for the 2020 25 Days of Christmas marathon on Freeform’s website. This year’s lineup includes the Freeform premieres of Almost Christmas, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, and Daddy’s Home 2, as well as annual classics like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Before then, Freeform leads up to December’s 25 Days of Christmas with the November-long Kickoff to Christmas movie marathon, which also includes a handful of Thanksgiving-themed flicks (in case you forgot about Turkey Day).
Can I watch the 25 Days of Christmas marathon without cable?
The Freeform channel is available only on paid cable, satellite, and livestreaming TV services, so you’ll need a subscription to one of these types of services to watch 25 Days of Christmas.
Which TV providers carry 25 Days of Christmas?
The 25 Days of Christmas marathon is on Freeform, a widely available cable channel that’s carried by most cable, satellite, and livestreaming TV providers, reaching over 92 million households.
