Where to Watch the Classic Christmas Animated Specials

There are a handful of old-school specials that never go out of style, specifically, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas. While primetime family viewing for decades, it can now be challenging to find each of your favorites, especially if you don’t have cable or access to local network broadcasts. However, we’ve tracked down the various ways to watch these family favorites.

• Where to Watch Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer: Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer has several airdates on Freeform, and is available to buy on Amazon.
• Where to Watch Frosty the Snowman: Frosty the Snowman has several airdates on Freeform, and is available to buy on Amazon.
• Where to Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: The original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is airing on TBS and available on Peacock TV.
• Where to Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas: You can watch A Charlie Brown Christmas on Apple TV+.

Note: If you’re looking for all of your holiday cinematic favorites, check out our top 25+ Holiday Films streaming guide, as well as our Holiday Prime Video guide.

Where to Watch Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

Stream Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer on Freeform

The loveable stop-motion animated special from 1964 is still as beloved as ever. Part of the iconic Rankin/Bass collection, this short movie about the little reindeer who does big things is a delightful family film. CBS and Freeform began offering select airings after Thanksgiving and will have several more up to and through Christmas Day, including:

• Monday, December 20, 5:15 p.m. ET
• Friday, December 24, 9:00 p.m. ET
• Saturday, December 25, 5:40 p.m. ET

The best way to stream these live viewings is via Freeform. You can watch Freeform on any of the following live TV streaming services: Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Vidgo, fuboTV, and DIRECTV STREAM. These services provide the same Freeform channel you find on cable and satellite TV. Read more about How to Watch Freeform here.

Buy Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer on Prime Video

While it isn’t free to stream, if you miss the live stream times, you can purchase Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer on Prime Video for just $4.99 and have it available to watch any time.

Where to Watch Frosty the Snowman

Stream Frosty the Snowman on Freeform

Another popular Ranking/Bass Productions title is, of course, Frosty the Snowman. The 1969 animated special produced was the first television special featuring the character of Frosty and is still a delight for families. Similar to Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman will appear in several more airings on Freeform through Christmas Day:

• Monday, December 20, 4:40 p.m. ET
• Friday, December 24, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Saturday, December 25, 5:05 p.m. ET

The best way to stream these live viewings is via Freeform. You can watch Freeform on any of the following live TV streaming services: Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Vidgo, fuboTV, and DIRECTV STREAM. These services provide the same Freeform channel you find on cable and satellite TV. Read more about How to Watch Freeform here.

Buy Frosty the Snowman on Prime Video

While it isn’t free to stream, if you miss the live stream times, you can purchase Frosty the Snowman on Prime Video for just $4.99 and have it available to watch any time.

Where to Watch How the Grinch Stole Chritmas!

An annual requirement is the eternally beloved story of how a grouchy Grinch has his heart grow three sizes. Of course, the original animated version of the Dr. Seuss book is still the best, although if you’re looking to compare, check out our take on all the various iterations and how to watch them. 

Stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Peacock TV

The 1966 classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is currently streaming on NBC’s streaming service Peacock. While Peacock does have a free tier, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is only available on Peacock’s Premium plan, starting at $4.99 per month. Furthermore, if you want to watch ad-free, you need to subscribe to the “Premium Plus” plan, eliminating the ads for a cost of $9.99 per month. You can sign up for any of these plans here. Peacock supports iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Xbox One S and Xbox One X, Android devices, Android TV, Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in. Check out our review of Peacock for more details on the service.

Stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on TBS

The Original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is also airing this month on TBS, so you can stream it on-demand using a free trial to any of the services below that carry TBS.

• Hulu Live TV– offers a 1-week free trial
• YouTube TV –  offers a 1-week free trial
• DIRECTV STREAM – pay for 1-month, but get a full refund if you cancel within 15 days.

Where to Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer. ‘Tis the time for the annual viewing of A Charlie Brown Christmas. One of the central beloved seasonal Peanuts cartoons of the 1960s, A Charlie Brown Christmas includes some of the most memorable moments of the gang, from the ice skating shenanigans to the breakout dance party at the nativity rehearsal and Linus’s startlingly charming moment in the spotlight. Although licensing allows for one annual viewing via local PBS stations (December 19), the special is part of the larger Peanuts collection housed under the Apple TV+ umbrella.

Apple TV+ costs $4.99 per month after a 7-day free trial. There is no long-term commitment, and you can cancel at any time. You may be worried if you don’t have an Apple device, but fear not. The Apple TV+ app is supported on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iPod Touch, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, VIZIO Smart TVs, Sony Smart TVs, and more. For more information on this streaming service, check out our review of Apple TV+.