Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: How to Watch, What Time and What Channel

Now that it’s the holiday season, there will be several chances to catch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on TV. The classic Christmas special is a staple of many families’ holiday traditions, and this year should be no different. You can plan on watching Rudolph with a cable subscription or even with a regular TV antenna.

December is kicking off strong with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer airing on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. ET on CBS. Whether you have a cable package, an HD antenna or access to a live CBS feed through a streaming service, this will be an easy way to watch the movie at no additional cost. However, if Tuesday doesn’t work for you, Rudolph is also airing on Freeform six times this month as part of the channel’s “25 Days of Christmas” programming block.

You can catch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Freeform on Dec. 5, Dec. 6, Dec. 19, Dec. 20, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25. Of course, you could set a DVR or similar device to record it on any one of those nights, or on Tuesday, for that matter. The so-called “streaming wars” have given customers more options than ever for watching holiday classics on their own terms.

Right now, no subscription-based streaming services have the rights to Rudolph, but it is available to be digitally rented or purchased on stores like iTunes or Vudu. You can also stream CBS live through its streaming service CBS All Access, and you can watch Freeform live online with a valid cable login. Freeform can also be added to skinny TV bundles like Hulu or Roku as an add-on channel.

Finally, a relatively new option that is growing in popularity is a device like the Amazon Fire TV Recast. The Recast functions like a DVR, but for an HD antenna rather than a cable box. This means that you can record broadcasts you are picking up for free with an antenna, save them for later, and fast-forward or rewind them.

However you watch, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a vital part of the holiday season for many. The holiday special was first released in 1964 and was digitally remastered in high-definition in 2005 for CBS. It is an inspiring story about a reindeer’s differences alienating him from his peers but ultimately making him stronger.

Catch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. ET on CBS. After that, it will air on Freeform on Dec. 5 at 7:40 p.m., Dec. 6 at 5:40 p.m., Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 20 at 4 p.m., Dec. 24 at 8:50 p.m. and on Christmas at 5 p.m. ET.