Move over autumn leaves—Christmas is arriving early this year! In a bold (and delightfully festive) twist, Great! Christmas is set to light up UK screens from 8 am on Thursday, 4 September 2025, offering non-stop holiday films until early January.

What to Expect from the Festive Takeover

Replacing Great! Romance for four months, the channel will bring continuous yuletide cheer across multiple platforms:

• Freeview (Channel 52)

• Sky (Channel 319)

• Virgin Media (Channel 424)

• Online streaming via the Great! Player

Notably, Freesat viewers will be excluded, as the entire suite of Great! channels was removed from that platform in 2024. But on some Freesat boxes, these Great! channels can be added as “non freesat” channels – as per the viode below. But note then NEW frequency for these channels, which has been changed since the video was produced back in 2024.

Frequency Updated : 11306 V DVB-S 27500 5/6

A Sleigh Full of New and Returning Favorites

This year’s lineup blends fresh holiday films with beloved seasonal staples:

New premieres include:

• Christmas in the Caribbean (UK terrestrial debut)

• A Christmas Love Story

• Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays

• Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy

• Christmas Under the Stars

• Once Upon a Christmas Miracle

• Our Christmas Love Song

• The Christmas Club

Returning favorites from previous years:

• My Christmas Wish

• Maggie’s Christmas Miracle

• Miracle in the Highlands

• Christmas at Plumhill Manor (a 2024 in-house production)

• My Sweet Holiday

• Charming Christmas

• Christmas Wedding Planner

• Christmas at Holly Lodge

• A Star-Crossed Christmas

• Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa

According to the channel’s team, the aim is simple: spread festive joy as early as possible. “Forget the naysayers, everybody loves Christmas—and the earlier it starts, the better.”

Channel Strategy: More Than Just Snowflakes

This early launch isn’t just festive whimsy—it’s a strategic reshuffle:

• Great! Movies will make way for the new Great! Mystery, spotlighting crime dramas and thrillers, also launching on 4 September.

• Great! Christmas is expected to broadcast up to 172 festive films between 4 September and Christmas Day, making it the first UK channel to offer 24/7 Christmas content so early.

Why Launch in September?

Holiday programming has been inching earlier each year, and this trend shows no signs of slowing. For many viewers, an early dose of festive joy is a welcome escape—especially after a long year. Audience figures from past runs suggest that one in three UK adults tunes into Great! Christmas during its traditional September–December window, making it a seasonal fan-favorite.

Alternatives for Later (or Non-Stop) Festive Viewing

Not quite ready to swap beach weather for snowflakes? Other options abound:

• Sky offers its own seasonal programming in the run-up to December.

• The That’s TV network typically brings That’s Christmas to Freeview later in the autumn.

• For year-round festive moods, streaming platforms like ITVX, Channel 4, and BBC iPlayer maintain robust Christmas movie collections.

Final Thoughts

The 2025 return of Great! Christmas on 4 September is a testament to the evolving appetite for feel-good, holiday-themed entertainment. With a healthy mix of fresh premieres and nostalgic favorites, backed by multi-platform accessibility, this early launch promises to delight holiday enthusiasts across the UK. Whether you’re all about early tinsel or prefer waiting until mid-December, there’s no denying this is the cheeriest September yet.