When is Die Hard on TV this Christmas?

Christmas Day is very nearly upon us, and film fans across the land will be deciding which films to watch to bring in the big day. While the likes of The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf and Love Actually are shoo-ins, there's always one film which remains a little more contentious.

Over three-and-a-half decades after its initial release, the question of whether or not Die Hard can be counted as a true Christmas movie remains fiercely contested. It was originally released during the summer months, but its festive setting means it picks up a huge amount of interest around the Yuletide period.

The film, which was directed by John McTiernan, stars Bruce Willis as NYPD detective John McClane, who touches down in Los Angeles on 24th December with grand plans of making amends with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at her company’s Christmas party.

Just before he enters her office, though, the building is seized by the villainous Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his gang, who take everyone inside hostage.

Film critic James King previously told RadioTimes.com that "Die Hard is a Christmas movie now but it didn’t start out as one".

"Back in 1988 when it was released in the summer, I don’t think anyone thought it was a festive film," he continued. "Sure it had a seasonal setting but it was hardly warm and cuddly.

"But over time, the fans have embraced its Christmas background and reinterpreted it as a yuletide classic. That’s what’s great about brilliant films: they don’t just have to be one thing."

But is the film airing over the 2025 Christmas period, and where can fans stream it? Here’s all you need to know, so you can make your mind up on the Christmas movie debate once and for all.

Is Die Hard on TV this Christmas?

As perhaps is only right, Die Hard will be getting an airing on Christmas Eve, with the film showing on 4Seven at 10pm.

Meanwhile, the film is also available to stream on Channel 4 (previously All4 and 4OD) for free until Sunday 4th January. You can watch the film here.

Where else can I watch Die Hard?

All five films in the series are available to stream on Disney Plus – including the first film, which originally joined the streaming service much later than the sequels.

• You can sign up to Disney Plus for £5.99 a month

If you don't have a subscription to Disney Plus, you can buy or rent Die Hard and the other sequels on Prime Video. Apple TV also has the full collection available to purchase.

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Philosophers across the world ponder the big questions in life – and perhaps the most prominent is the conundrum: is Die Hard a Christmas movie, or is it just a movie that just happens to be set at Christmas? (It’s a Christmas movie and we won’t hear otherwise.)

Like the pronunciation of "scone", it is a query that has plagued people for decades (at least, since 1988), with even Die Hard star Bruce Willis saying – controversially – that he doesn’t believe the action-thriller is a Christmas movie.

A 2021 poll by YouGov stepped in to settle the festive debate, finding that the public does not consider it to be a true Christmas film – even though just one year prior the film's director John McTiernan had said that he thought it was one.

However, more recently a closely-contested Channel 4 poll revealed that Die Hard actually it is a Christmas movie. In the poll, 39 per cent of viewers thought it was a Christmas film compared to 37 per cent of people who said it was not – with the remaining respondents sitting on the fence.

Christmas film or not, Die Hard still remains one of the best and most influential action films ever made, and the holidays just wouldn’t be the same without settling down to watch Bruce Willis’s star turn.

How to watch the Die Hard films in order

There are five films in the Die Hard series which were released over a 25 year period. The latest, A Good Day to Die Hard, first hit US cinema screens on Valentine's Day 2013. Here's the order they came out:

1. Die Hard (1988)
2. Die Hard 2 (1990)
3. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
4. Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
5. A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.