The Christmas season is nearing, just three weeks away, bringing with it a delightful array of timeless holiday films and television specials. One beloved classic, “Frosty the Snowman,” will be broadcast by NBC this year, transitioning from its long-time home at CBS for the first time in 55 years.

Inspired by the song made famous by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950, “Frosty the Snowman” narrates the enchanting tale of a snowman who comes to life with the help of a magical hat. He befriends local children and sets off on an adventure to reach the North Pole before the temperatures rise and he melts away.

During their journey, Frosty and a girl named Karen find themselves chased by a greedy magician who wants to take the magical hat from Frosty’s head.

This holiday favorite has been covered by numerous artists, but Jimmy Durante’s rendition of the song, released in 1950, particularly gained popularity, especially after he served as the narrator for the 1969 animated film. Since its debut, the movie has become a staple of the festive season.

Here’s how you can watch “Frosty” on television and through streaming options this year.

Where to watch ‘Frosty the Snowman’ on TV

This year, “Frosty the Snowman” has moved from CBS to NBC. To view it in the traditional way, locate your local NBC channel or visit NBC.com to watch it online.

The film first aired on CBS in 1969 and remained there for 50 years until NBC acquired the broadcasting rights in 2024.

When does ‘Frosty the Snowman’ air on TV?

“Frosty the Snowman” will be broadcast on NBC on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT and again on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 8:00 p.m.

The film is also featured in Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” programming, meaning it will air several times on that channel. If you have cable, you can catch “Frosty” on Freeform at the following times:

• Dec. 7 at 8:35 p.m. ET/PT
• Dec. 8 at 5:35 p.m. ET/PT
• Dec. 16 at 8:45 p.m. ET/PT
• Dec. 17 at 7:20 p.m. ET/PT
• Dec. 21 at 5:40 p.m. ET/PT
• Dec. 22 at 2:25 p.m. ET/PT
• Dec. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT
• Dec. 25 at 10:30 a.m. ET/PT

Stream on Hulu

Where to stream ‘Frosty the Snowman’

If you prefer streaming, “Frosty” is also available for viewing this holiday season without cable.

You can stream the animated classic on Hulu, Apple TV+, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video if you have a standard paid subscription to these platforms.

Hulu’s subscription starts at $9.99 per month with ads, or $18.99 without ads and can also be bundled with Disney+, which is $9.99 per month (with ads) or $15.99 (ad-free). Apple TV+ is available from $9.99 monthly, while Amazon Prime Video costs $8.99 per month alone or can be part of the full Amazon Prime membership for $14.99, which includes Prime Video services.

Access Amazon Prime Video

Voice cast of “Frosty the Snowman”

• Jimmy Durante as Narrator
• Billy De Wolfe as Professor Hinkle and The Magician
• Jackie Vernon as Frosty
• Paul Frees as Santa Claus, Traffic Cop, and Additional Voices
• June Foray as Karen (original version), Kids, Teacher, and Additional Voices
• Suzanne Davidson as Karen (re-dubbed version)
• Greg Thomas as Karen’s friends (re-dubbed version)

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