Christmas TV is more competitive than ever

Vulture

The battle for Christmas TV eyeballs has become a "war," says Josef Adalian, who points out that broadcast networks are adding more original holiday specials to supplement reruns of holiday staples like A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Four big cable networks and Netflix are also ramping up their Yuletide offerings. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is even being revived as a holiday special, airing Sunday. Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" has inspired competition from Freeform with its "25 Days of Christmas," Lifetime's "It's a Wonderful Lifetime," AMC's "Best Christmas Ever" and Netflix's "It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Netflix." "Some conservatives (including President Trump) are fond of complaining that politically correct corporate America has abandoned Christmas celebrations," says Adalian. "They’ve clearly never turned on a TV set around this time of year. Far from fleeing Christmas, programmers are raising the Santa stakes and devoting more resources than ever to Yuletide stunts. The reason: As much as modern audiences love streaming shows on demand, Nielsen data suggests live viewing — no DVRs, no on-demand — spikes dramatically for holiday-themed programming, as friends and families gather in front of the electronic hearth for a dose of carefully curated small-screen cheer. And as the battle for those Christmas viewers grows ever more competitive, networks are responding with ever more extensive holiday offerings."