What's Happening?
ABC has unveiled its holiday programming schedule, featuring the debut of Disney's 'Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol' on November 30, 2025, and a special hosted by Kevin Costner titled 'Kevin Costner Presents:
The First Christmas' on December 9, 2025. Additionally, the network will provide extensive NBA coverage on December 25, 2025. These announcements are part of ABC's strategy to capture holiday audiences by offering a mix of animated specials, celebrity-hosted events, and live sports. The inclusion of these programs aims to attract a broad viewership during the holiday season, leveraging the popularity of Disney's animated content and the star power of Kevin Costner.
Why It's Important?
The strategic scheduling by ABC highlights the network's effort to reclaim live television audiences during the holiday season, a time traditionally dominated by family gatherings and shared viewing experiences. By concentrating high-profile events within a short timeframe, ABC aims to create 'appointment viewing' moments that could challenge the dominance of streaming services. This approach may lead to increased advertising revenue as advertisers seek to capitalize on the concentrated viewership. The move also reflects broader industry trends where networks are increasingly focusing on eventized programming to compete with the on-demand nature of streaming platforms.
What's Next?
As the holiday season approaches, viewers can expect a competitive landscape where networks and streaming services vie for attention. ABC's programming decisions may prompt other networks to adjust their schedules or enhance their offerings to maintain audience engagement. Advertisers will likely monitor viewership patterns closely to determine the effectiveness of these concentrated programming blocks. The success of ABC's strategy could influence future scheduling decisions, potentially leading to more event-driven programming in subsequent years.
