Quick Answer
In the US, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown streams only on Apple TV, which costs $14.99 a month after a seven-day free trial. Apple is also making it free to watch on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026, for its 60th anniversary. JustWatch lists no digital rental, but you can buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.
Key Takeaways
- Free streaming window on Apple TV: October 17 and 18, 2026.
- Apple TV is also sold as an Amazon Channel, listed at $12.99 a month.
- No broadcast TV airing has been announced for 2026.
Where It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is streaming
Apple TV is the only streaming home of the 1966 Halloween special in the US. The Apple TV title page lists it as a 1966 release with a 25 minute runtime, available with a seven-day free trial and then $14.99 a month. According to Wikipedia, the Peanuts specials became Apple TV+ exclusives in 2020, and on October 1, 2025 Apple announced a five-year extension that keeps it the exclusive streaming home of Peanuts until 2030.
You can also subscribe to Apple TV through Amazon. JustWatch’s US listing shows the Apple TV Amazon Channel with a seven-day free trial and then $12.99 a month. That is a paid add-on, so a regular Prime membership does not include the special on its own.
Free to watch on October 17 and 18, 2026
Apple announced on September 24, 2026 that the special will stream for free from Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 18, as part of a 60th anniversary celebration. The same announcement lists free windows for the other two holiday classics: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on November 14 and 15, and A Charlie Brown Christmas on December 12 and 13.
Apple has not detailed which devices support the free window or whether you need to sign in, so open the Apple TV app or tv.apple.com shortly before October 17 to check. Subscribers can watch it any day, before or after the free weekend.
Every way to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in the US
| Service | How | Cost or plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple TV | Subscription | $14.99/month after a seven-day free trial | Exclusive streaming home; free for everyone October 17 and 18, 2026 |
| Apple TV Amazon Channel | Subscription add-on through Amazon | Listed on JustWatch at $12.99/month after a seven-day free trial | Paid add-on; not part of a standard Prime membership |
| Amazon | Buy on disc | DVD $4.98; Blu-ray $13.39; 4K UHD Blu-ray $19.63 | Physical copies only |
| GRUV | Buy on disc | DVD $9.49 | Physical copy |
| Barnes & Noble | Buy on disc | DVD $11.39 | Physical copy |
Availability last checked September 30, 2026.
Cheapest way to watch
The free weekend on October 17 and 18 costs nothing. Outside those two days, a new Apple TV subscriber can use the seven-day free trial. Apple’s press release also says that, for a limited time, customers who buy and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can get three months of Apple TV for free.
To own a copy, the lowest price listed on JustWatch is the $4.98 DVD at Amazon. JustWatch lists no digital rental or purchase in the US, so a disc is the only way to keep it without a subscription.
About the special
Charles M. Schulz wrote the special and Bill Melendez directed it, with a score by Vince Guaraldi. It premiered in the US on CBS on October 27, 1966, a day after its first broadcast on CBC in Canada, and runs 25 minutes. The story follows the Peanuts gang through Halloween while Linus skips the festivities to wait in a pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin.
Its broadcast history explains why it no longer turns up on network TV. CBS reran it each year after its debut, it moved to ABC in 2001, and it aired on broadcast television every year through 2019. In 2020 it became an Apple TV+ exclusive and was not broadcast at all. PBS aired it in 2021 under a licensing agreement that was not renewed in 2022.
More Halloween viewing
For older viewers, see our list of scary movies to watch, our picks of PG-13 horror movies, or where to watch Practical Magic.
FAQ
Is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown free to watch in 2026?
Yes, for one weekend. Apple says the special will stream for free on Apple TV from Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, to mark its 60th anniversary. Outside that window, you need an Apple TV subscription.
Is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on TV this year?
No broadcast airing has been announced for 2026. The special aired on broadcast TV every year from 1966 through 2019, became an Apple TV+ exclusive in 2020, and PBS carried it in 2021 under a licensing deal that was not renewed in 2022.
How long is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?
It runs 25 minutes and is rated G.
Can I buy It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on DVD or Blu-ray?
Yes. JustWatch lists the DVD from $4.98 at Amazon, $9.49 at GRUV and $11.39 at Barnes & Noble, plus a Blu-ray at $13.39 and a 4K UHD Blu-ray at $19.63 from Amazon.