How to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for free in 2025

As Charlie Brown once said: “I won't let commercialism ruin MY Christmas!”

This Christmas, if you're searching for your favorite Peanuts Christmas special to pop on while you deck the halls, you may be disappointed to discover that A Charlie Brown Christmas is now exclusively available on Apple TV, and typically behind a paywall — sorry, Charlie ...

Back in 2020, Apple secured the exclusive streaming rights to the Peanuts cartoons after years of the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition TV specials being available across multiple broadcast networks — usually ABC and CBS. This year, A Charlie Brown Christmas won't air for free on either of those networks. So, if you’d like to watch Charlie Brown pick out a little sapling tree for the gang's Christmas play before you gather to open presents with your family, you’ll need access to Apple TV.

The good news is, this weekend (Dec. 13-14), you can watch A Charlie Brown Christmas totally free on Apple TV, no subscription needed! Here's what you need to know.

What channel is A Charlie Brown Christmas on this year?

After years of the Peanuts’ Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween TV specials airing on the likes of ABC, CBS and PBS every holiday season, all the Charlie Brown specials are now only available through Apple TV. Luckily, this weekend, Apple TV has made the Charlie Brown Christmas special free for everyone — not just paid subscribers!

How to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas

When will A Charlie Brown Christmas be free this year?

In the name of Christmas (and in an effort to not be a total Grinch!) Apple made the Charlie Brown Christmas special free for all — not just Apple TV+ subscribers — to watch on Saturday, December 13, 2025 and Sunday, December 14, 2025.