There are two Christmas movies that people watch far more than any other films this time of year: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Elf. The two classics seem to trade the title of most-watched Christmas film every year, and this year it’s Christmas Vacation’s turn to come out on top.
The Chevy Chase comedy ranks as the No. 1 Christmas movie this season, according to data crunched by Samba TV, a TV tech company that measures audience data. It measured viewership of Christmas movies on network and streaming TV from November 1 to December 10 and found that Christmas Vacation was the clear winner, with viewership slightly up over last year.
“This holiday season proves that classic Christmas movies never go out of style, with beloved comedies dominating the top five holiday movies of 2024,” said Ashwin Navin, co-founder and CEO of Samba TV. “For three consecutive years, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Elf have been playing musical chairs for the top spot, proving the timeless charm of classic Christmas comedies.”
Christmas Vacation Leads All Christmas Films
Christmas Vacation drew 9.4 million households in that span, rising 7% over last year. The movie tells the story of ever-optimistic family man Clark Griswold (Chase), who plans the perfect Christmas for his family—only of course, it doesn’t turn out that way.
The 9.4 million compares to an audience of 8.7 million households for Elf, which ranked No. 1 in 2023, overtaking 2022 victor Christmas Vacation. Elf follows the coming-of-age tale of late bloomer Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell), who comes to New York City from the North Pole at Christmastime to meet his real father. Hilarity ensues.
The No. 3 film, Home Alone, didn’t have close to the same audience as the top two, though it posed a very healthy 4.1 million households.
All three outpaced the No. 1 new Christmas movie of 2024, Netflix’s Our Little Secret, starring Lindsay Lohan.
Four Christmases, starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn as a couple haphazardly racing between four holiday celebrations, and The Holiday, a romantic comedy with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, rounded out the top five most-watched Christmas movies of 2024.
Secret was the only new film to crack the top 15. Five Hallmark Christmas movies also made the top 15.
How To Watch ‘Christmas Vacation,’ ‘Elf’ And Other Top Christmas Movies
Most of the top Christmas movies are available across multiple linear and streaming platforms. Here’s how to find them.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989, PG-13)
You can watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on on Hulu, Max, Philo, YouTube, Disney+, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies & TV and Apple TV.
Elf (2003, PG)
You can watch Elf on Hulu, Max, Philo, YouTube, Disney+, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies & TV and Apple TV.
Home Alone (1990, PG)
You can watch Home Alone on YouTube, Disney+, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies & TV and Apple TV.
Four Christmases (2008, PG-13)
You can watch Four Christmases on Hulu, Max, Philo, YouTube, Disney+, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies & TV and Apple TV.
The Holiday (2006, PG-13)
You can watch The Holiday on fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
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