Apple’s 2025 holiday announcement combined two new original premieres, the holiday-season streaming debut of F1 The Movie, returning seasonal programming and two limited free windows for Peanuts classics. Because those premieres and free weekends occurred in 2025, they are now historical dates rather than upcoming offers.
The five dates that defined Apple’s 2025 holiday slate
| Date | Title or event | Access described by Apple |
|---|---|---|
| November 15–16, 2025 | A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving | Limited free streaming window |
| November 21, 2025 | The Family Plan 2 | Apple TV subscription premiere |
| December 5, 2025 | The First Snow of Fraggle Rock | Apple TV subscription premiere |
| December 12, 2025 | F1 The Movie | Global Apple TV streaming debut |
| December 13–14, 2025 | A Charlie Brown Christmas | Limited free streaming window |
Apple listed the dates in its holiday announcement. The free periods were events for the two Peanuts specials, not a free pass to the whole Apple TV catalog.
What was genuinely new?
The Family Plan 2 — November 21
The Apple Original action comedy reunited Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan, with Kit Harington joining the cast. Dan takes his family on a European holiday trip, but someone from his past pulls them into an international chase involving bank heists and Christmas complications. It was a new feature-film premiere, not merely a seasonal catalogue addition.
The First Snow of Fraggle Rock — December 5
Produced by The Jim Henson Company, this new special follows Gobo, Red, Wembley, Mokey and Boober as they prepare for the first snow. When only one snowflake appears, Gobo travels to “Outer Space”—the Fraggles’ name for the human world—for musical inspiration. Lele Pons makes a cameo and performs a song. Apple announced the special separately here.
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F1 The Movie — December 12
F1 The Movie was the major film arrival during the holiday season. Apple described it as a global streaming debut, but it is a racing drama rather than a Christmas or holiday special.
Which programs were free?
Apple’s Peanuts announcement set the following temporary windows:
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- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: November 15–16, 2025.
- A Charlie Brown Christmas: December 13–14, 2025.
Subscribers could watch the specials outside those windows under the service terms in effect at the time. The dates have ended, so the 2025 announcement does not establish that either title is free now. Apple also did not provide a device-by-device procedure or confirm identical terms in every territory. Its announcement is available at this Peanuts release; a UK release repeated the dates in local formatting at Apple TV Press UK.
The returning holiday catalogue
Family and children’s viewing
- The Velveteen Rabbit
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
- Frog and Toad: Christmas Eve
- Sago Mini Friends: New Year’s Steve
- Eva the Owlet: Eva’s Moon Wish
- Shape Island: The Winter Blues
- I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
- Interrupting Chicken: A Chicken Carol Holiday Special
- Pretzel and the Puppies: Merry Muttgomery!
- The Snoopy Show: Happiness is the Gift of Giving
- Fraggle Rock: Night of the Lights
Films, music and variety
- Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas
- Spirited
- Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special
- A Carpool Karaoke Christmas
These were part of Apple’s highlighted holiday selection, but the announcement did not present every catalogue title as a new 2025 premiere. Apple’s holiday collection page is available here; current inclusion and regional access should be checked there.
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Subscription, devices and the historical price signal
Apple’s December 2025 press material listed the service at $12.99 per month and a seven-day trial for new subscribers. It also described three free months for customers who purchased and activated an eligible new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac, subject to terms. Those were figures and offers stated in 2025, not a guarantee of the price or eligibility in 2026. Check Apple’s official service page before subscribing.
An Apple-branded device was not required. Apple identified access through the Apple TV app on iPhone and iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and other smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation, Xbox and the web at tv.apple.com. Device, title and regional availability can differ; Apple’s device information appears in its December 2025 release.
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What viewers should do now
- Open Apple’s current holiday collection and confirm that the title you want is listed in your country.
- Check whether a Peanuts special is currently included, separately available, or subject to a new promotional window; the 2025 free weekends are over.
- Compare a month of Apple TV with a digital rental or purchase if you want only one film.
- If you use a trial, note the renewal date and cancel before renewal if you do not want a paid subscription.
Apple’s January 3–5, 2025 all-access promotion was a separate event and should not be confused with the two Peanuts windows in the holiday announcement. Its announcement is archived at Apple TV Press.
Who got the most value?
- Families: The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, the Peanuts specials, The Velveteen Rabbit, Frog and Toad: Christmas Eve and children’s holiday episodes.
- Adults or mixed-age households: The Family Plan 2, F1 The Movie, Spirited, Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas and Mariah Carey’s special.
- Viewers avoiding a subscription: The practical 2025 strategy was to use the announced Peanuts weekends. After those dates, check current licensing, rental, purchase, broadcast or library options rather than assuming free access continues.
Bottom line for the 2025 announcement
Apple’s slate was a mixture, not one new batch of “holiday film specials”: two original premieres, a major seasonal streaming debut, an existing holiday catalogue and narrowly timed free access to two Peanuts classics. That distinction is the key to understanding both what Apple announced and what, if anything, remains useful to watch now.
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