Here’s a look at what media of interest is coming out in December 2024.
Movies
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Dec. 20
Disney+
A full list of material is available here.
- Bluey Minisodes, Dec. 9
- Dream Productions, Dec. 11
- Doctor Who: Joy to the World, Dec. 25
- Dunk the Halls, Dec. 25 (live, noon ET) (also on ESPN2 and ESPN+)
Netflix
A full list of material is available here.
- The Great British Baking Show: Holidays, Season 7, Dec. 9
Paramount+
A full list of material is available here.
- SpongeBob & Sandy’s Country Christmas Special, Dec. 2
Peacock
A full list of material is available here.
- Christmas in Rockefeller Center, Dec. 4 (live, also on NBC)
Sports
- Christmas Day NBA games (all available on Disney+/ESPN+; also available on ABC and/or ESPN): Spurs vs. Knicks (noon ET); Timberwolves vs. Mavericks (2:30 PM ET); 76ers vs. Celtics (5 PM ET); Lakers vs. Warriors (8 PM ET); Nuggets vs. Suns (10:30 PM ET).
- Christmas Day NFL games (all on Netflix): Chiefs vs. Steelers (1 PM ET); Ravens vs. Texans (4:30 PM ET).
- Day after Christmas NFL game: Seahawks vs. Bears (8:15 PM ET, Amazon Prime Video).
Other
- Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, Dec. 31 (ABC)
My thoughts
At the movies, we’ve got “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” coming out. I assume it’ll do well at the box office, going by how excited fans are about Shadow the Hedgehog appearing. Shadow’s also voiced by Keanu Reeves, for celebrity voice fans. It’s also interesting that Sonic’s the most successful speedster on the big screen, given the failure of DC/Warner Bros.’s “The Flash” movie.
Also opening on December 13 is (yet another) “Lord of the Rings” movie and, of all things, an R-rated film about Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter. There’s also “Mufasa: The Lion King,” a prequel to the photorealistic animated “Lion King” remake.
Sports (and streaming concerns) stuff
Christmas Day this year is busier than usual in the world of TV. Not only are we getting five NBA basketball games airing across ABC, ESPN, Disney+, and ESPN+, but also two NFL games exclusively streaming on Netflix. (One of them is a Chiefs game, something Taylor Swift fans are surely thrilled about.) There’s also the annual “Doctor Who” Christmas special on Disney+. Finally, there’s a day after Christmas football game on Amazon Prime Video. (Yes, “day after Christmas,” since Boxing Day isn’t a thing here in the US.)
Also streaming on Disney+ is “Dunk the Halls,” a simulcast of the Spurs/Knicks game featuring animated versions of Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, and other classic Disney shorts characters. It’s in the recent tradition of similar sports simulcasts with cartoon characters, such as SpongeBob covering the Super Bowl back in February.
I do have one concern: the Netflix football games make me wonder how well it’ll hold up on Christmas Day. After seeing Netflix have problems with November’s Mike Tyson fight, a football game involving a popular team like the Chiefs raises questions. For the record, last year’s Christmas Day game (also involving the Chiefs) pulled in a combined 30 million viewers (on CBS and its Nickelodeon simulcast). The Tyson fight, meanwhile, pulled in 65 million concurrent streams (38 million of those from the US).
While I hope for the best, Netflix users who aren’t football fans might want to make alternative viewing plans. I assume Disney+/ESPN+ won’t be as overloaded (the basketball games will also be available on ABC/ESPN), so “Doctor Who” fans should be fine.
Image: “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.” (Paramount)
