Netflix is poised to steal the BBC’s Christmas TV crown as streaming platforms and mobile devices consign the traditional festive viewing experience to history.

Once Morecambe and Wise and Only Fools and Horses entertained 20m viewers as the nation’s families gathered around the TV in a post-turkey slumber.

But in today’s multi-platform world, teenagers are more likely to be streaming YouTube or watching Stranger Things on a tablet in their bedroom.

Last Christmas, a double-whammy of the Gavin & Stacey finale and the Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl , helped the BBC stall a steady decline in seasonal terrestrial channel viewing.

The James Corden/Ruth Jones comedy, the biggest scripted show of 2024, racked up 17m viewers by the New Year, helping BBC One pull ahead of

See Full Page