Current:Home > MarketsThe 15 most-watched holiday movies this season. Did your favorite make the cut? -TradeWisdom
The 15 most-watched holiday movies this season. Did your favorite make the cut?
View
Date:2025-04-17 14:20:35
What holiday movies are sleighing the ratings? It’s a mixed Santa’s sack of the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present, according to data shared exclusively with USA TODAY.
Samba TV, which analyzes viewership habits of households collected through smart TVs, assembled a list of the most-watched movies on TV and streaming services in the U.S. between Nov. 10 and Dec. 10. (For the study, a view means the household watched at least five minutes of a feature.)
Smiling along to “Elf” proved audiences’ favorite. So far, 9 million households have watched the 2003 feature starring Will Ferrell as whimsical Buddy the tall elf, who left the North Pole in search of his biological father. Nearly 8 million households have found 1989's “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” as enjoyable as a one-year membership to a jelly-of-the-month club. Who doesn’t feel for Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) during his obsessive quest to provide a perfect Christmas for his extended family? And this stat might make you do Macaulay Culkin’s famed “Home Alone” face: the 33-year-old flick, in which a son forgotten by his vacationing family fights off burglars, raked in 7.1 million views.
'Santa! I know him!'How to watch 'Elf' this holiday: TV listings, streaming and more
By comparison, only three original holiday movies released on streaming platforms this year managed to snare more than 1 million households. Netflix’s “Best. Christmas. Ever!” starring Jason Biggs, Heather Graham and Brandy Norwood, attracted 2.3 million households. “The Family Switch,” Netflix's holiday-themed spin on “Freaky Friday” with Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms, garnered 1.9 million, which ties it with Amazon Prime Video’s “Candy Cane Lane,” starring Eddie Murphy.
Murphy told USA TODAY that he longed to do his first Christmas movie, and decided on “Candy Cane Lane” — a sort of “Jumanji” meets “The Santa Clause” — after contemplating remaking a classic. “’It's a Wonderful Life,’ 'Miracle on 34th Street,' we were looking through all of them," Murphy said. "But then this script came along, and it was like, ‘Hey, this has all the elements, and it's unique. So we can make our own little modern-day classic instead of remaking an old one.’”
The 15 most-watched movies between Nov. 10 and Dec. 10:
You'll notice that the largely debated "Die Hard" starring Bruce Willis makes the list. As Ashwin Navin, Samba TV's CEO, sees it: "There's no debate: 'Die Hard' is in fact a Christmas movie, and one of the greatest of all time at that," he said in a statement.
- "Elf" (2003, streaming on Max), 9 million household views
- "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989, Max), 7.9
- "Home Alone" (1990, Disney+), 7.1
- "The Santa Clause" (1994, Disney+), 4.3
- "Four Christmases" (2008, Max), 3.5
- "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000, on Peacock Dec. 20‒31), 2.5
- "Best. Christmas. Ever!" (2023, Netflix Original), 2.3
- "The Holiday" (2006, for rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV), 2.3
- "Family Switch" (2023, Netflix Original), 1.9
- "A Christmas Story" (1983, Max), 1.9
- "Candy Cane Lane" (2023, Amazon Original), 1.9
- "It's a Wonderful Life" (1947, Amazon Prime), 1.7
- "Die Hard" (1988, Disney+), 1.4
- "Love Actually" (2003, Netflix), 1.4
- "The Polar Express" (2004, Max), 1.1
Chevy Chase fallsoff stage in New York at 'Christmas Vacation' movie screening
The casting director for 'Elf'would pick this other 'SNL' alum to star in a remake
veryGood! (1395)
Related
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Dr. Cornel West Is Running to Become President of the United States. What Are His Views on Climate Change and the Environment?
- Michigan mayor calls for increased security in response to Wall Street Journal op-ed
- Grammys 2024: Why Trevor Noah Wants Revenge on NFL Fans Who Are Mad at Taylor Swift
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- See King Charles III Make First Public Appearance Since Hospital Release
- King Charles III diagnosed with cancer following hospitalization for prostate procedure
- Shannen Doherty Responds After Alyssa Milano Denies Getting Her Fired From Charmed
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- How Las Vegas evolved from Sin City to Super Bowl host
Ranking
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Could a nearby 'super Earth' have conditions to support life? Astronomers hope to find out
- Father of Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes arrested in Texas on suspicion of drunk driving
- Are you wearing the wrong bra size? Here’s how to check.
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Like Spider-Man, you may have your very own 'canon event.' Here's what that means.
- Beyoncé hasn't won Grammys album of the year. Who was the last Black woman to hold the prize?
- Streaming services can cost a pretty penny: Here are 7 ways to cut down on your bill
Recommendation
The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
The Skinny Confidential’s Lauryn Bosstick Talks Valentine’s Day Must-Haves for Your Friends and Family
Streaming services can cost a pretty penny: Here are 7 ways to cut down on your bill
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema rebukes election question that makes Americans really hate politics
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Doc Rivers will coach NBA All-Star Game after one win with Bucks. How did that happen?
Megan Fox's Metal Naked Dress at the 2024 Grammys Is Her Riskiest Yet
Dakota Johnson Channels Madame Web in Must-See Naked Spider Gown