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Rudolph's Red Nose Now Shining at NBC; Frosty Makes the Move, Too

Holiday classics Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman have officially made the move from CBS to NBC, beginning next month.

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CBS isn't having a very good week in terms of holding onto its mainstays. Earlier this week, we learned that the network had lost the broadcasting rights to The Grammys after over 50 years – with Disney signing a new deal that will see the awards show air/stream across ABC, Disney+, and Hulu. The next hit was earlier today – and unfortunately, just in time for the holiday season. Vulture is reporting that CBS has lost the rights to Christmas classics Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman after (tell us if this sounds familiar) over 50 years on the network. NBC has reportedly locked in a new multi-year licensing deal that includes the broadcasting rights to the Rankin/Bass holiday specials.

Rudolph
Image: SNL Screencap

So when will you be able to see them? NBC has Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer set for Friday, December 6th, at 8 pm (with an encore on December 12th). Why is that important? Because even though "Rudolph" had a long run on CBS, it actually made its debut on NBC on December 6th (as part of The General Electric Fantasy Hour) – meaning that next month's airing will actually be a homecoming, as the animated special celebrates its 60th anniversary with an extended version of "Rudolph"). In terms of "Frosty," fans can check out its NBC debut the night before "Rudolph" – Thursday, December 5th at 8:30 pm (with an encore on December 12th at 8 pm).

If you're looking to stream the specials, though – it's not gonna happen. NBC's deal does not include streaming rights to the specials (though they can be digitally downloaded), and it's not clear if the new deal will be able to do much to make it a reality. The report notes that NBCUniversal controlling the distribution rights to the two specials via DreamWorks Animation holdings may possibly lead to some clarity on the streaming situation (though there is nothing in place at the time of the report). In addition, both specials will remain an important part of Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas lineup.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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