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How to Watch 25 Days of Christmas: Streaming, Cable, and More

‘Tis the season, and CableTV.com’s gift to you is the best (and cheapest) ways to watch Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas.

Cheapest

Sling Orange
Price: $40.00/mo.
Channels: 30+

Sling Orange
Price: $40.00/mo.
Channels: 30+

Best for cable

Digital Starter
Price: $70.99/mo.
Channels: 140+

Digital Starter
Price: $70.99/mo.
Channels: 140+

Best for satellite

ENTERTAINMENT
Price: $64.99/mo.
Channels: 160+

ENTERTAINMENT
Price: $64.99/mo.
Channels: 160+

Best streaming app

Freeform app
Price: Free
Requires provider subscription

Freeform app
Price: Free
Requires provider subscription

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 latest edition of 25 Days of Christmas, we’ve rounded up the best (and least expensive) ways to get Freeform on cable, satellite, and live TV streaming services. Spoiler: Freeform is owned by Disney, so it’s easier to find than an ugly Christmas sweater on Etsy.

Love the holidays?

You don’t have to wait until December for new Christmas movies. The Lifetime Channel‘s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” event begins on November 5 and lasts until December 18, boasting 26 new holiday specials.

Cheapest for Freeform: Sling TV

$40.00/mo. (Sling Orange)
30+ channels

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Sling TV offers three color-coded live streaming (i.e. internet-delivered) TV plans: Orange, Blue, and Orange + Blue.

At $40 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 32-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 45 channels, it’s still a relatively inexpensive monthly layout of $55. But, if you’re looking only for Freeform, all you need is Sling Orange.

Sling TV isn’t the only live TV streaming service that carries Freeform. YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and fuboTV all also stream Freeform.

Other live TV streaming services that carry Freeform

Best cable for Freeform: Xfinity

$70.99/mo.* (Digital Starter)
140+ channels

* 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

$64.99/mo.* (ENTERTAINMENT)
160+ channels

* w/24-mo. agmt. Autopay & Paperless bill req’d. Advanced Receiver Service Fee $15/mo. is extra and applied. Data effective as of post date. 

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 about the same price as DISH’s America’s Top 120 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 three years. On the downside, DISH can’t compete with DIRECTV’s sports coverage.

Other satellite TV plans that carry Freeform

Freeform app

Free
Cable, satellite, or livestreaming TV account required

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 live TV streaming service’s Orange plan is just $40 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 $64.99 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 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 25 Days of Christmas marathon on Freeform’s website. Previous lineups included 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.

Can I watch the 25 Days of Christmas marathon without cable?

Yes, you can watch the 25 Days of Christmas without cable, but you’ll need a live TV streaming service instead. 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 the 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.

Freeform cable providers (partial list):

Freeform satellite providers:

Freeform livestreaming TV providers:

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