Christmas movies streaming in 2026 start with four new Netflix originals, beginning November 4. Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas films reach Hallmark+ the next day, Apple TV and Disney+ have new holiday specials, and the Charlie Brown classics get free weekends. Here is what is coming and when.
Updated October 25, 2026.
Most of us know the feeling. It is a cold Friday night, the cocoa is ready, and you spend twenty minutes scrolling for a Christmas movie instead of watching one. A little planning fixes that. We took every date below from a service’s own page or a news report. Dates can still shift, so check the app before you clear your evening.
Christmas Movies Streaming in 2026 at a Glance
Here is the whole season on one screen. Details for each service follow the table.
| Service | What is new | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | A Dog’s Perfect Christmas | November 4 |
| Netflix | Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas | November 11 |
| Netflix | The Christmas Switch | November 12 |
| Netflix | Guarding Stars | November 18 |
| Netflix | In a Holidaze | December 2 |
| Hallmark+ | Countdown to Christmas premieres, streaming the day after they air | Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays |
| Apple TV | Snoopy Presents: 12 Days of Snoopy | November 13 |
| Apple TV | Fraggle Rock: A Holiday Gift | December 4 |
| Disney+ | A Proud Family Wizmas | November 14 |
Netflix Christmas Movies Streaming in 2026
Netflix is the busiest service this year. Both TVLine and What’s on Netflix list four big holiday films in English. Three arrive one week apart in November, and the last one comes in early December. A Swedish rom-com and a family baking show round out the slate. The dates below are the ones those two outlets report for the United States.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas (November 4)
This family drama is based on a novel by W. Bruce Cameron, the author behind A Dog’s Purpose. Dennis Quaid plays a grumpy grandfather, and a lively corgi puppy named Ruby helps pull his family back together. Milo Ventimiglia and Mary Steenburgen are in the cast, and Thomas Haden Church voices the family’s wise old basset hound. What’s on Netflix reports that the director says no dogs die in this one. That is good news if the older films left you in tears.
Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas (November 11)
Tyler Perry wrote and directed this one. Tank plays a struggling pastor who takes over his family’s church in a rough New York neighborhood. Fantasia Barrino plays his wife. It is a music-first movie with a long list of gospel and R&B names, including Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar and The Clark Sisters. If your house likes a good sing-along at Christmas, this is the one to put on.
Guarding Stars (November 18)
A no-nonsense bodyguard, played by Leighton Meester, is assigned to protect a charming action star, played by Jared Padalecki, over the holidays. TVLine describes it as a holiday romance where sparks fly and secrets come out. Andie MacDowell is in the cast too.
In a Holidaze (December 2)
This is the time-loop comedy. Maddie Ziegler plays a young woman who makes a big romantic mistake at her family’s Christmas cabin. Then she keeps reliving the same holiday until she works out what will make her happy. Rob Lowe, Graham Phillips and Jackie Sandler co-star. The film is based on a novel by Christina Lauren. As a lifelong rom-com fan, I will always give a holiday time loop a try.
The Christmas Switch and a family bonus
The Christmas Switch is a Swedish twin-swap rom-com starring real-life twin sisters Felice and Happy Jankell. Netflix says it launches worldwide on November 12. For families with little ones, Gabby’s Dollhouse: Makers and Bakers Holiday, a baking and crafting contest, arrives December 9 in the US.
Licensed Christmas Titles Coming to Netflix
Not everything on Netflix is an original. What’s on Netflix lists several licensed titles headed to the US library, with a warning that their dates can change.
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024), PG, about the Herdman kids taking over the church pageant, expected November 1.
- Christmas with the Coopers (2015), PG-13, an ensemble comedy about one chaotic Christmas Eve, expected November 1.
- Mistletoe Murders, seasons 1 and 2, a cozy mystery series set in a Vermont Christmas shop, expected November 1.
- The Great British Baking Show holiday specials, expected before Christmas.
Licensed movies are the ones most likely to leave a service without much notice. If a favorite is on the list, watch it early in the season rather than saving it for Christmas Eve.
Hallmark+ and Countdown to Christmas
Hallmark’s own Countdown to Christmas page says new movies premiere on Hallmark Channel every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8/7c. The premieres it features at the top carry the note “Streaming Next Day on Hallmark+.” So you do not need cable to keep up, though you will need to wait a day.
The page lists the 2026 premieres, and a few of the earliest are:
- What If Christmas, starring Lori Loughlin and Tom Cavanagh, premiering Sunday, October 25.
- Who’s Coming for Christmas?, premiering Friday, October 30.
- Adopting St. Nick, starring Amy Groening and Michael Rady, premiering Saturday, October 31.
- A Danish Christmas, starring Emilie Ullerup and Corey Sevier, listed on the page with a preview.
The same page lists many more titles, including Merry Memories, My Christmas Cowboy, The Nights Before Christmas and Christmas Delivered. The premiere schedule at Geeky Hobbies runs from mid-October through December. It also lists dates for Great American Family and other channels.
Anyone who has watched a few of these knows the pattern: a big-city person, a small town, a snowstorm, and an ending you could guess in the first ten minutes. That is the whole charm. It is comfort food, and it is easy to follow with a laptop on your knees.
Apple TV Holiday Specials in 2026
Apple TV’s lineup is smaller and aimed at families. Apple’s announcement, as reported by Apple World Today, names two new specials. Snoopy Presents: 12 Days of Snoopy premieres Friday, November 13. Snoopy lands on Santa’s naughty list with twelve days left to prove he is a good beagle. Fraggle Rock: A Holiday Gift, a musical special from The Jim Henson Company, follows on Friday, December 4.
The classics matter just as much here. Apple took over the Peanuts specials in 2020, so Apple TV is where you find them. Apple has set free viewing weekends for each one: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on November 14 and 15, and A Charlie Brown Christmas on December 12 and 13. Apple TV subscribers can watch them any time.
Disney+ and A Proud Family Wizmas
Disney+ has announced a stop-motion special called A Proud Family Wizmas, premiering Saturday, November 14. Laughing Place reports that Penny Proud rants about how commercial Christmas has become. Her rant makes Santa quit on Christmas Eve, so Penny has to put on the red suit. The special has six new original songs and a long guest list, including Anderson .Paak, Lil Rel Howery and Gabrielle Union. You can also stream the Proud Family series and movie on Disney+ beforehand.
Where to Find the Christmas Classics
New premieres are easy to track because the services shout about them. The old favorites are harder. A classic might sit on one service this year and a different one next year. No single page keeps up with it all. Listings for the classics on Peacock, Hulu, Prime Video and Max change often, so check each app’s search bar before you plan a movie night around one.
When you need ideas first, our 10 classic Christmas films list is a good place to start. If you like your holiday movies in monochrome, try the black and white Christmas movies post. And for the scenes everyone quotes, see iconic Christmas movie moments. Prefer the small screen? We also ranked the best Christmas TV episodes.
A Simple Plan for Your Holiday Movie Nights
You do not have to watch everything. Most of us have a limited number of free evenings in December, and most of those are already booked. Here is a plan that keeps it simple.
- Pick one new movie a week. Netflix’s weekly November releases make this easy. Start with A Dog’s Perfect Christmas on November 4 and see how you feel.
- Save a family night for the specials. The Snoopy special on November 13 and A Proud Family Wizmas on November 14 are both short enough for a school night.
- Watch the Charlie Brown classics on the free weekends. If you do not have Apple TV, those weekends are your window.
- Keep Hallmark for the weekend. Since the movies stream the day after they air, a Saturday night works for Friday’s premiere.
- Leave one night open. Something will arrive that you did not plan for, and you will want the space.
If you have ever started a movie at 9 p.m. and fallen asleep before the second act, you already know why the short specials are worth a spot on the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Netflix’s 2026 Christmas movies come out?
According to TVLine and What’s on Netflix, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas arrives November 4, Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas on November 11, Guarding Stars on November 18, and In a Holidaze on December 2.
Can I watch Hallmark Christmas movies without cable?
Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas page says its premieres stream the next day on Hallmark+. That means you can watch without cable, but you will be a day behind the Friday, Saturday and Sunday broadcasts.
Is A Charlie Brown Christmas free to stream in 2026?
Apple says A Charlie Brown Christmas will stream for free on December 12 and 13. Apple TV subscribers can watch it at any time.
Which Christmas movies are streaming for kids this year?
Good starting points are Snoopy Presents: 12 Days of Snoopy on Apple TV (November 13), A Proud Family Wizmas on Disney+ (November 14), and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, rated PG, which What’s on Netflix expects on Netflix around November 1. Gabby’s Dollhouse: Makers and Bakers Holiday follows on December 9.
Why do Christmas movies disappear from streaming services?
Many movies are licensed rather than owned by the service. What’s on Netflix notes that release dates for licensed titles are subject to change and that availability can vary by region, so a favorite can arrive or leave on short notice.