It’s that time of the year again when everything is peppermint flavored, festive lights illuminate the sky and of course – Hallmark airs its Christmas movies. On the days that are too cold to go outside or when you’re feeling like cozying up under a blanket to watch a holiday film, you might be wondering how you can watch your favorites on Hallmark – even if you don’t have cable.
After last year's releases like Inventing the Christmas Prince and Blake Shelton’s Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas, you might want to check out some (or all!) of the 40 new Christmas movies in Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas,” airing from the end of October through December on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 8 p.m. EST. At the same time, if you are in the mood for a late-night movie, you can enjoy Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ “Miracles of Christmas” on Saturdays nights at 10 p.m. EST.
Many streaming services offer most or all three Hallmark channels– The Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama. And for those who don’t have cable, there are other ways to watch online, for free and after they air. We want everyone who can’t go a holiday season without seeing the all-time best Hallmark Christmas movies to be able to partake in the festivities. So, here’s all you need to know about how to watch Hallmark Christmas movies this year.
How to Watch and Stream Hallmark Christmas Movies Live
Here’s an early Christmas gift: Even if you pulled the plug on cable, you can still watch Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama all season long. There are a number of streaming services that let you watch live TV and recordings anytime, anywhere.
All of these no-commitment streaming services are made with Hallmarkies in mind:
- Peacock: One of the easiest ways to stream this year's brand-new Hallmark Christmas movies is through the Hallmark hub on Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service. For $6 a month, you can watch the Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama live and on-demand via the Peacock app and PeacockTV.com.
- Pluto TV: If you want to catch a Hallmark movie live and without paying for a subscription, Pluto TV is your best bet. The free streamer has a Hallmark Movies & More channel, and you can watch shows and movies live or on-demand.
- Hulu + Live TV: The platform recently added the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to its lineup. For $70 per month, you can access 90+ channels live and on-demand.
- YouTube TV: For $73 per month, you can watch Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries around the clock, plus 100+ other channels.
- Sling: For $40 a month, get 30+ channels as a part of the Sling Orange Service and an additional nine channels, including all three Hallmark channels, as a part of the Lifestyle Extra package.
- Philo: At a flat rate of $25 a month, get 70+ live channels including all three Hallmark channels, HGTV and Lifetime. Just in time for "Countdown to Christmas," test it out with a free seven-day trial.
- fuboTV: The starter package – 172 channels, 1,000 hours of DVR space and screen sharing capabilities — starts at $75 per month. Before you make the splurge, try it out with a one-week free trial.
- Hallmark Channel Everywhere: Although Hallmark's free streaming service typically requires a cable log-in, during the holidays they unlock a few Christmas movies, so you can watch 'em without signing in. If you do have cable (or know someone who has it), you can use this service to stream live programming on your phone, tablet or other compatible devices.
How to Watch and Stream Hallmark Christmas Movies After They Air
If you get caught up in a baking frenzy and miss any movies when they're live on TV, don't fret: Select streaming services give you the option to watch new releases within a few days of their initial air time:
- In addition to letting you watch Hallmark movies as they air live, Peacock allows you to watch new films on-demand for three days after their release.
- fuboTV has a Lookback feature that allows users to watch any movies or TV shows up to 72 hours after their original air time.
- If the movie is part of Sling's on-demand or catch-up TV program, you can watch or rewatch anything that aired within the last three to eight days, or you can record the movie with Cloud DVR Plus to watch at a later date. (Note: Your first 50 hours of DVR storage are included with a paid subscription, but then you'll have to pay additional fees.)
How to Watch Older Hallmark Christmas Movies
Hallmark movies aren't on Netflix or Hulu, but some of the Hallmark Christmas classics like A Christmas Detour and Crown for Christmas are available to rent or buy from retailers like Amazon. Amazon also offers a 7-day free-trial for some Hallmark films.
You can get more bang for your buck by checking out the "Movies & Mistletoe" event on Hallmark Movies Now. Each month, they'll release popular Christmas movies from previous years. Start with a seven-day free trial, then pay $6 for a monthly subscription or $60 annual subscription to get in the Christmas cheer, whenever and wherever you please.
If you're looking to watch older Christmas movies without breaking the bank, Pluto TV also has a selection of them free on-demand. All you need to do is head to the streamer's official site, type in which movie you want to see, and queue it for whenever you want to get into the holiday spirit.
