Overview
- Viewers can watch the special only on Apple TV+ this year, with free access available Dec. 13–14 or via a 7-day trial.
- Commentary urges ABC to restore a single-night broadcast tradition, framing the streaming model as a loss of a shared family ritual.
- The program has not aired on network television since 2020 after more than five decades as an annual CBS and then ABC event.
- Apple acquired the Peanuts catalog in 2018 and has extended exclusive rights through at least 2030, opting for limited free windows rather than broadcast.
- The special remained a reliable ratings draw through its final ABC airing in 2019, when it ranked No. 1 among adults 18–49.