How To Watch Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas Streaming

grinch how the grinch stole christmas
(Image credit: MGM)

Some of the best Dr. Seuss adaptations over the years have been those that centered on the mean, vile, and bad banana known as the Grinch, the sinister, green namesake of the classic 1957 children’s book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Watching the grouchy character with a heart two sizes too small try to ruin Christmas for the residents of Whoville has become a holiday tradition for millions around the world the past 65 years, whether in the original book, the 1966 animated TV special, the 2000 live-action adaptation starring Jim Carrey, or the most recent, 2018 version that featured Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice behind the iconic figure.

But, with so many options, on so many platforms, and so little time, trying to figure out how to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas streaming can make you feel a little like the Grinch yourself. Well, don’t go running off with a plan to get back at the Whos and their jolly ways. Instead, take a look at this handy guide for all three versions, and that will surely make that shrunken heart of yours grow three sizes larger this holiday season.

How To Watch The Live-Action Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas Starring Jim Carrey

Ron Howard’s 2000 live-action adaptation, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, took the acclaimed novelist’s story and turned it into a feature length film. Much like the original book and 1966 animated TV special of the same name, the Christmastime movie focuses on that mean old Grinch as leaves the seclusion of his mountain to take the joy out of Whoville, while also expanding upon it with a screenplay written by the team of Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman that gave Jim Carrey a lot to work with for new jokes, gags, and a surprisingly great deal of heart.

Anyone with an HBO Max subscription can watch Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas streaming right now, as it just one of many Holiday movies available on the platform. Other options include Amazon or HBO, where it is airing throughout the month of December 2022.

Stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas on HBO Max.
Buy (or rent) How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Amazon.

How To Watch The Classic Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas Animated Special

If you’d rather watch the animated special and relive memories of yesteryear, then you don’t need to worry, because the 1966 classic is also streaming. The voice of Boris Karloff as both the Grinch and the narrator, the brilliant direction of Chuck Jones, and Albert Hague’s wonderful tunes have all made this one of the most iconic Christmas specials and a tradition in homes around the world ever since its release. 

This year, anyone subscribing to Peacock Premium can watch Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas streaming this holiday season. The special is also showing on TBS and TNT’s Winter Break holiday programming throughout the month of December.

Stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Peacock.
Buy (or rent) How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Amazon.

How To Watch Illumination’s The Grinch 

And, there is also Illumination’s The Grinch, which had a voice cast that included Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams, the late Angela Lansbury, and many more in this 2018 expansion of Dr. Seuss’ iconic book. The movie, which played out similar to earlier adaptations, albeit with the Illumination visual and comedic stylings, was a major success at the box office upon its release, stealing a sleigh-load of cash in the process.

The Grinch isn’t currently streaming on any of the major platforms, but you can buy (or rent) a digital copy on Amazon, and it will be showing on FX and FXX throughout the holiday season.

Well, this should certainly be enough to get you started for your annual viewing of Dr. Seuss’  How the Grinch Stole Christmas. If you want even more holiday cheer, don’t forget to check out our 2022 Christmas movie schedule for all the latest.

Philip Sledge
Content Writer

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.