2026 Holiday Movies on TV: Hallmark, Netflix and More

The 2026 holiday movie season is already underway, and the viewing calendar is crowded enough to make choosing a cozy night in feel like a competitive sport. Hallmark has 34 original movies on its slate, Great American Media is rolling out premieres on streaming and television, and Netflix, Prime Video, UPtv and AspireTV are bringing their own festive stories to the party.

Whether you want a familiar holiday romance, a star-packed streaming release or a mystery with a seasonal twist, here’s what deserves a spot on your watchlist.

The holiday season starts before Halloween

Great American Media kicked things off on October 8 with the world premiere of A Second Chance Christmas on Great American Pure Flix. Candace Cameron Bure and Jonathan Scarfe lead the film, which is also slated for Great American Family and GFAM+.

Hallmark follows on October 16 with the first of its 34 originals. If that sounds early, consider it extra time to find your favorite blanket.

Two premieres worth circling first

Hallmark opens with ’Tis the Season for Setups, starring Amanda Schull, Victor Webster and Barbara Niven. Great American’s early lineup also includes Silver Bells at Christmas, featuring Laura Osnes, Ryan McPartlin, Chuck Wicks and Taylor Kalupa.

The Great American films receive world premieres on Pure Flix before arriving on Great American Family and GFAM+, giving viewers more than one way to catch them.

Hallmark is going big on familiar faces and fresh pairings

With 34 original movies scheduled, Hallmark is offering plenty of reasons to keep its channel close at hand. Most of the listed premieres air at 8 p.m. ET, though a few arrive at 6 p.m. ET.

The lineup mixes traditional holiday romance with football, travel, dogs and even a trip to Disney World.

From the football field to the ballroom

Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story stars Lyndsy Fonseca and Robert Buckley alongside Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods and Khary Payton. For a different kind of pairing, there’s Mr. & Mrs. Christmas with Brendan Penny and Pascale Hutton, or What If Christmas with Lori Loughlin and Tom Cavanagh.

Later, Mistletoe and Mimosas brings together Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha and Jennifer Robertson. My Christmas Cowboy pairs Amy Acker and Luke Macfarlane, with Sara Canning also starring.

For a destination holiday, Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True features Lacey Chabert and Travis Van Winkle in a cast that also includes Richard Kind and Christy Carlson Romano.

The titles that promise something a little different

Hallmark’s slate isn’t all meet-cutes and mistletoe. Mistletoe Murders returns for season 3, with Sarah Drew and Peter Mooney; episodes are scheduled for Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, Christmas Cookie Caper: A Puzzle Time Mystery puts a holiday spin on sleuthing over on UPtv. Back at Hallmark, Barking All the Way stars Ian Harding and Tori Anderson, while A Grand Biltmore Christmas assembles Holland Roden, Niall Matter and Andie MacDowell among its large cast.

Even viewers who can predict the happy ending have plenty of settings and stars to choose from.

Great American’s schedule is made for movie marathons

Great American Media has built a two-stop release pattern around many of its films: a world premiere on Great American Pure Flix, followed by an airing on Great American Family and GFAM+.

That’s useful to know if you’re trying to keep up with the volume of new movies rather than catch them all in one night.

Look out for returning holiday favorites

Candace Cameron Bure appears again in A Sweet Christmas Anniversary, this time alongside Cameron Mathison. Mathison also stars with Jill Wagner in A Very Arctic Christmas.

Danica McKellar has two titles on the schedule: The Christmas Yes List with Sam Page and The Greatest Christmas Gift with Matthew Marsden.

Other notable pairings include Mario Lopez and Tony Danza in Three Generations, One Christmas; Merritt Patterson and Ryan Paevey in The Christmas Ornament Library; and Laura Vandervoort and Olivier Renaud in Christmas by the Spoonful. If you like following particular performers from film to film, there are plenty of connections to spot.

Streaming brings some of the biggest names

Netflix joins the holiday releases in November, while Prime Video has an early-December film with a cast built to grab attention. These are worth keeping in mind if your festive viewing happens through an app rather than a TV channel.

Arnold Schwarzenegger headlines a Prime Video release

The Man With the Bag stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson, with Jane Krakowski, Ken Jeong and Awkwafina also in the cast. It’s one of the season’s most conspicuously starry announcements, and its early-December arrival gives Prime Video a prominent place in the holiday rush.

Netflix, meanwhile, has A Dog’s Perfect Christmas, featuring Dennis Quaid, Milo Ventimiglia, Jennifer Tilly, Mary Steenburgen and Thomas Haden Church. Other announced titles include Guarding Stars, with Leighton Meester, Jared Padalecki and Andie MacDowell, and In a Holidaze, starring Maddie Ziegler and Rob Lowe.

The service also has Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas, whose musical cast includes Fantasia Barrino Taylor, Yolanda Adams, CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar.

Do not overlook UPtv and AspireTV

The smaller slates can be just as useful when you want a change of pace. UPtv’s listed holiday movies air at 8 p.m. ET, while AspireTV’s air at 9 p.m. ET.

Both networks add new choices to a season already packed with premieres.

More romances, mysteries and festive settings

UPtv’s lineup includes Snowbody Like You, Chocolate For Christmas, A Royal Stables Christmas and Christmas in the Ballroom. AspireTV offers The Love Doctor, Kiss Me for Christmas, A Heart for Christmas and Holiday Bae, among other titles.

With releases stretching toward Christmas Day, the real holiday challenge may not be finding something to watch. It might be deciding what to watch first.