Hi-Ho! Here’s Where to Watch The Muppets

It’s time to play the music …

Ever since their introduction on Sesame Street in the late ’60s, Jim Henson’s Muppets have been permanent inhabitants of American and international pop culture: Batman, Spider-Man, Captain Kirk, Luke Skywalker, and Kermit the Frog, the quintessential quintet.

Kermit struck out on his own in 1976 with The Muppet Show, a sketch–and–musical variety TV series that brought on co-stars Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo, among many others. In 1979, the gang broke into theaters with The Muppet Movie, and they’ve been omnipresent ever since—like the Kardashians, but with more free will and talent.

But, if you’re new to the Muppets, where to begin? Fortunately, since they exist in their own seemingly timeless bubble, there’s no wrong place or time to jump into the Muppet universe. The upcoming Muppet Show 50th anniversary special on ABC and Disney+ (Wednesday, Feb. 4) is an easy entry point, as could any of the past TV shows, specials, and movies we’re going to drop here.

I want to watch the Muppets for free

Since the Muppets’ brand has been owned by Disney for over 20 years, there aren’t many venues where you can watch official Muppet content for free; the Mouse House isn’t known for giving anything away. No wonder Muppet Theater balcony critics Statler and Waldorf are so cranky: They’ve had to buy their own show tickets for decades.

The official Muppets Studio YouTube channel, however, does feature hundreds of clips for nada, including online exclusives like a recording session wherein Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem meet singer-songwriter Orville Peck. The mask makes sense now.

I want to watch the Muppets TV shows

Aside from the first The Muppet Show, dozens of Muppet series and specials have aired over the years, though not all of them are available to stream. Most, including the original Muppet Show (1976–1981), the Office mockumentary-style The Muppets (2015–2016), the short-form Muppets Now (2020), and the Electric Mayhem-centered The Muppets Mayhem (2023), are available on Disney+.

TV specials A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008) and Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021) are also streaming on Disney+, but they’re among the exceptions. One-offs like Lady Gaga & The Muppets Holiday Spectacular (2013), The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show (1982), and The Muppet Show: Sex & Violence (1975) can only be found in YouTube clip form, but they’re worth seeking out for completists.

And yes, since it features Kermit the Frog, the beloved holiday TV movie classic Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977) counts as Muppet canon. After years gone missing from home video and streaming, the hourlong special is now available to watch for free on YouTube, Pluto TV, Tubi, Roku Channel, and several other FAST streamers—but not on Disney+.

I want to watch the Muppets movies

Of the eight Muppet movies released theatrically, six are available to stream on Disney+: The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), The Muppets (2011), and Muppets Most Wanted (2014).

Muppets from Space (1999) is a strictly rent-or-buy video-on-demand title from outlets like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, while The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) can be found on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). Meanwhile, TV feature It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005) is VOD-only.

The Kermit the Frog origin story no one asked for, Kermit’s Swamp Years (2002), is also out there on VOD. Even weirder, the 83-minute movie also features the younger versions of Statler and Waldorf, a sight that cannot be unseen.

I want to watch Muppet Babies

The original animated series Muppet Babies (1984–1991) is nowhere to stream, but the rebooted Muppet Babies (2018–2021) is on Disney+, as are Muppet Babies: Show & Tell (2018) and the live-action Muppet Babies: Play Date (2019).

If you prefer dogs to babies, an animated obscurity from the Muppet multiverse, Dog City, featuring Rowlf the Dog, is available to stream free (both the 1989 movie and the subsequent 1992 series) on Tubi and Roku Channel.

Where to watch The Muppets FAQ