You might not even care about the holidays, but if you watch any TV at all, you are well aware that they have arrived. Many family-themed TV networks take advantage of audiences’ increased free time to market their wares to avid holiday viewers.

Even with longer and longer holiday blocks leading to increased competition, nobody is worried about audience fatigue. In fact, it’s the opposite: networks are worried whether they’ll have enough content for stocking starved viewers.

“If anything, what we’re seeing is a craving for this kind of content sooner. We’ve expanded again because last year we expanded and saw a fairly big response,” said Amy Winter, UP TV’s executive VP and general manager.

UP TV’s “Everything You Love About Christmas” launched November 1, kicking off 50 days and 500 hours of Christmas-themed programming, including several original movies and their “Merry Music Mornings” Christmas music blocks running from November 2 through December 26.

Networks can’t just rely on movies anymore. Enter: “The Holderness Family Christmas Jammy Jam” special, featuring UP TV’s famed viral family. In conjunction with the special, the Holderness family hosts a Christmas Jammy giveaway where fans can enter to win a 4-pack of jammies by tweeting a picture accompanied by #ChristmasJammy.

On the heels of 44 million views for its Secret Santa video last year, UPLIFT SOMEONE returns with a video arriving after Thanksgiving.

“This is the culmination and celebration of our year,” said Winter. “Christmas is a season of hope and a celebration of family and giving. Our network tries to uphold those things all year long, but the spirit of Christmas takes it up to DEFCON 1.”

This sentiment is shared across cable—including by ABC Family (soon to be Freeform) and its Countdown to Christmas—but The Hallmark Channel might take it the most seriously. “Countdown to Christmas” started Halloween night and promised 55 continuous days of holiday programming.

“We feel like we have license to start first, because Hallmark is known for the holidays,” said Susanne McAvoy, executive VP, marketing, creative and communications, Crown Media Family Networks.

Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” promises 17 original movies, up from 12 last year.

“We’re having our biggest year ever,” said McAvoy. “Our audience screams for this content. They can’t wait for the Christmas movies.”

This year the network has a powerful ally in their corner: Mariah Carey.

The singer makes her directorial debut with A Christmas Melody (December 19), and their partnership allows the network to license Carey’s hit Christmas song, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” as it blankets New York with holiday marketing,

Hallmark is a title sponsor for her Christmas concert at the Beacon Theatre (December 8-18) in NY, and for the first time, the network had a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, where Carey performed.


“Our whole strategy is to be in those places where people spend time with their families,” said McAvoy.

Hallmark continues to sponsor the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and on November 19, Hallmark broke the Guinness Book of Records for the largest number of displayed Christmas trees, a stunt hosted by star Candace Cameron Bure. The trees formed a maze for families and afterwards, the trees were donated to the Boys and Girls Club of New York. In addition, the network took over the north terminal with a Grand Central Station domination.

Hallmark also teamed with Six Flags this holiday season, culminating in a day where all proceeds of the park go to Feed the Children.

Winners of the massively popular “Joy to the World” sweepstakes receive a Delta Vacations trip around the world.

“Hallmark is our 100+ year brand,” said McAvoy. “You can’t say Christmas without thinking Hallmark.”

Lifetime would beg to differ, upping the ante this year.

Their holiday season began with Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow on November 21 as part of a burgeoning Thanksgiving programming slate.

“Very Merry Christmas” started November 28, and runs through December 19.

“What we did in the past was promote individual movies. We want to make Lifetime a place to go for the holidays,” said Karen Griffenhagen, Senior Creative Director, On Air Promotions, Lifetime. “[It’s] not just hey tune in this Saturday at 8 for certain movies this year.”

Becoming Santa star Laura Bell Bundy recorded a new version of “Jingle Bells” that acts as Lifetime’s holiday soundtrack.

ABC Family is utilizing the fervor of the holiday season and the popularity of its 18th annual “25 Days of Christmas” (December 1-25) and “Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas” (November 22-30) to educate viewers about its forthcoming New Year’s resolution to switch to Freeform.

While the holiday marathon events are reserved for cable, Christmas remains a committed tradition on broadcast, and perhaps no tradition is stronger than A Charlie Brown Christmas.

ABC is celebrating the “Peanuts” classic’s fiftieth anniversary with It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown!, a Kristen Bell-hosted special featuring scores of performances airing Monday November 30 at 8/7 pm CT before the annual screening of the cartoon 9/8 pm CT.

In addition to old faithfuls such as Frosty (November 28) and Rudolph (December 1), CBS is bringing The Andy Griffith Show Christmas Special to TV. The new one-hour special features two back-to-back episodes (in color!) of the classic show Christmas Day at 8 pm ET/PT.

NBC commemorates Christmas in Rockefeller Center on December 2 for the 83rd annual tree lighting and on December 10 at 8/7 pm CT, a decidedly newer NBC tradition will air: Michael Bublé’s Christmas Special, featuring the eponymous artist and guests such as Celine Dion.

Finally, Fox capitalizes on Empire’s December 2 fall finale with an all-new music and variety special Taraji and Terrence’s White Hot Holidays, featuring a special duet by Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard and performances from John Legend and more, on Wednesday, December 9 at 9 om ET/PT.

Like retailers on Black Friday, it’s clear nobody on TV wants to be left out in the cold this holiday season, as the X-Mas ch(arms) race continues.

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