December wrapped up 2024 with an enticing mix of festive content lighting up digital storefronts, strategic partnerships, and fierce competition among UK streamers. As audiences navigated their holiday watchlists, platforms showcased creative campaigns and well-placed promotions to capture attention during the year’s busiest streaming season. As always, you can find the full details and news in our December UK Merchandiser of the Month report.
One major story was Sky’s integration of Warner Bros. Discovery’s ad-supported Max service, which, while not officially debuting until 2026, is already causing ripples in the streaming pond. This long-term partnership promises Sky customers a treasure trove of premium HBO titles, Max Originals, and exclusive Warner Bros. content for free, significantly broadening the platform’s appeal. December’s announcement signals the increasing importance of bundling and partnerships as streamers aim to retain subscribers while offering comprehensive libraries under one roof. It’s a strategy that should certainly resonate with UK households already juggling multiple subscriptions.
Building on the trend of partnerships, ITV and YouTube also joined forces in December, creating a pathway for ITV’s beloved hits like Love Island and The Masked Singer to reach YouTube’s vast audience. By curating ad-supported playlists tailored to fan preferences, ITV is broadening its content horizons while leveraging YouTube’s streaming dominance. It’s a calculated step that neatly bridges traditional broadcasting with on-demand convenience, keeping ITV’s content firmly in the spotlight where it belongs.
Meanwhile, Apple TV+ emerged as a clear leader this month, commanding an impressive 40% of the top titles for digital merchandising prominence. Its standout success, Silo, achieved an MPV™ score of 1,764. This strategic dominance underscores Apple TV+’s commitment to delivering high-quality, prestige content and securing prime placement across the major platforms. Want to see how the competition stacked up? Dive into December’s UK Merchandiser of the Month report for the full breakdown.
BBC iPlayer captured the festive spirit with its major Gavin & Stacey event, bringing fans back together for The Finale. Alongside the return of the Outnumbered Christmas Special, these nostalgia-driven offerings reminded everyone why iPlayer remains a favorite for holiday viewing. While not enough to crack the official rankings for digital prominence, The Finale drew an astonishing 19.11 million live and catch-up viewers, making it one of December’s most defining moments.
The month wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the yearly holiday battle for top titles. Surprisingly, only a couple of festive-themed movies captured much of the attention, whilst quite a few unexpected thrillers and crime-focused titles managed to break through instead, showing that audiences crave more than just seasonal fare. Want to know which surprises shook up the rankings? Dive into our December UK Merchandiser of the Month report for the full story.