Animated Christmas classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas airing on TV tonight
Here's how to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) on TV or streaming this year.

The Christmas TV season is in full swing for US audiences, with networks airing holiday specials and new Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, BET Plus Christmas movies and more helping to round out the festive season (see our Christmas TV highlights guide). Of course, many people have their favorite Christmas movies or holiday specials to watch each year, with one in particular being the original 1966 animated TV movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. For those who always make an appointment to watch the Dr. Seuss classic, great news, it is airing on TV on Thursday, November 30.
Viewers can watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC on November 30. That means it's readily available for anyone with a traditional pay-TV subscription or TV antenna that receives local station signals, as well as live TV streaming subscribers to Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
If you're not able to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas live on November 30, don't worry, it is also available to stream whenever you want on Peacock. It is also available to rent or buy via digital on-demand if you prefer.
Based on Dr. Seuss' classic children's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas sees the grumpy hermit the Grinch attempt to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville. Boris Karloff, best known for playing Frankenstein in the original 1931 horror movie, voices the Grinch in the animated special, while June Foray voices Cindy Lou Who.
The animated TV movie first premiered on December 18, 1966, and has aired most years on TV since. Of course there have been a couple of other Grinch movies as well. The first was 2000's live-action Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas that stars Jim Carrey and then in 2018 a feature animated adaptation was released, titled The Grinch with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is not the only holiday-themed programming NBC has on November 30. Shrek the Halls, an animated holiday special featuring the popular characters from the Shrek franchise, follows immediately afterward at 8:30 pm ET/PT.
As of right now, NBC is planning to air 1966's How the Grinch Stole Christmas again on December 25 at 8 pm ET/PT, which will be immediately followed by Jim Carrey's Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
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Michael Balderston is What to Watch’s assistant managing editor and lead movie writer, covering movies coming to theaters, writing movie reviews and highlighting new and classic movies on streaming services; he also covers a range of TV shows, including those in the Taylor Sheridan universe, Slow Horses, Only Murders in the Building, Jeopardy!, Saturday Night Live and more, as well as the best ways to watch some major US sporting events.
Based outside of Washington, D.C., Michael's previous experience includes writing for Awards Circuit, TV Technology and The Wrap.
Michael’s favorite movie of all time is Casablanca, while his favorite TV show is Seinfeld. Some 2025 favorites include One of Them Days and Black Bag for movies, and The Pitt on TV. Follow on Letterboxd to keep up with what I'm watching.