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’s free 60th anniversary weekend ran October 17 and 18, 2026, so watching it now takes a subscription or the free trial. You can also buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.
Key Takeaways
- Apple TV is the only streaming home of the Peanuts specials in the US, under a deal that runs until 2030.
- The free Halloween weekend has passed. The next free Peanuts windows are A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on November 14 and 15 and A Charlie Brown Christmas on December 12 and 13.
- We found no broadcast TV airing 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. 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 as a paid channel inside Amazon Prime Video. That is an add-on with its own monthly fee, so a regular Prime membership does not include the special on its own. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock and Paramount+ do not carry it.
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 until 2030 |
| Apple TV channel on Prime Video | Subscription add-on through Amazon | Separate monthly fee on top of Prime | Not part of a standard Prime membership |
| DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD | Buy on disc | One-time purchase from major retailers | The only way to own it; no digital purchase in the US |
Availability last checked October 29, 2026.
What happened to the free weekend?
Apple announced on September 24, 2026 that the special would stream for free from Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 18 to celebrate its 60th anniversary. That window has now closed. Subscribers can still watch the special any day, and new subscribers can use the seven-day free trial, so it is still possible to see it free on Halloween if you have not used a trial before. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if you do not want to keep paying.
The Peanuts holiday specials: dates and free windows
The same Apple announcement set free windows for the other two holiday classics. All three are on Apple TV for subscribers year-round.
| Special | First aired | Free on Apple TV in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown | 1966 | October 17 and 18 (ended) |
| A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving | 1973 | November 14 and 15 |
| A Charlie Brown Christmas | 1965 | December 12 and 13 |
If you only want the specials, the cheapest plan is to time a free trial around the holiday you care most about, and catch the other two on their free weekends.
Cheapest way to watch
With the free weekend over, 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 special is sold on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray. There is 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: Charlie Brown finally gets invited to a party, Snoopy flies into battle against the Red Baron, and Linus skips trick-or-treating to wait all night in a pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin, with a lovestruck Sally beside him.
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, Halloween movies on Netflix, or where to watch Practical Magic.
FAQ
Is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown free to watch in 2026?
Not anymore. Apple’s free anniversary weekend ran October 17 and 18, 2026. Now you need an Apple TV subscription, though new subscribers get a seven-day free trial.
Is It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on TV this year?
We found no broadcast airing 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 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.
When is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving free on Apple TV?
Apple says it will stream free on November 14 and 15, 2026, followed by A Charlie Brown Christmas on December 12 and 13.