Pokémon: The First Movie can be streamed for free due to 20th anniversary celebration

By Mike Flacy February 12, 2016

pokemon

With the 20^th anniversary of the Pokémon series coming up at the end of the month, the Pokémon company has uploaded Pokémon: The First Movie to its streaming media service. In order to watch the 1998 film, the streaming service can be accessed through a standard Web browser at the Pokemon site or via a smartphone app on iOS and Android mobile devices.

Celebrating the release of Pokémon Red and Green twenty years ago on February 27, this is likely just one of the celebrations that the Pokémon company has planned. While Pokémon: The First Movie was a critical flop, that didn’t stop fans of the film from flocking to theaters when the Pokémon craze was in full swing during the late nineties. With a production budget of $30 million, Warner Bros. went on to collect more than $160 million worldwide during the theatrical run.

Related Videos

Prior to this point, the film hasn’t been made available on streaming subscription services like Netflix. However, the film is currently listed for purchase or rental on sites like Amazon. Be aware that the free streaming version on the official Pokémon site doesn’t not include the short film Pikachu’s Vacation. When Pokémon: The First Movie first appeared in theaters during the late nineties, that short film was attached to the theatrical release.

Interestingly, the Pokémon “Train On” Super Bowl commercial was one of the most searched about commercials online during the game according to Google Trends. It’s become the most watched Super Bowl commercial on YouTube, smashing through 20 million views as this week. In addition, the advertisement was spread on social media quite a bit capturing more than 350,000 social actions, which includes tweets, likes and shares.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Gaming

CES 2023: Nvidia GeForce Now is coming to internet-enabled cars

Rumbleverse streams via the cloud in the back of a car.

Nvidia GeForce Now is coming to an unexpected new platform: cars. The cloud streaming service will start rolling out in select internet-enabled vehicles, with three partners announced during Nvidia's CES 2023 showcase.

NVIDIA Special Address at CES 2023

News

What to expect at CES 2023, from mondo TVs to EVs

The futuristic Aska eVTOL quadcopter will take off and land vertically, like a drone.

Break out the champagne and roll out the red carpets, CES is back! After two rough, COVID-addled years that saw the world’s greatest tech show reduced to a shell of its former self, the show is primed to spring back to its former glory for 2023. And our team of writers and editors will be on the ground in Las Vegas, bringing it all to you.

But much has changed since the last “normal” CES of 2020. The economy has boomed and busted, supply chains have knotted, and attitudes over excess have shifted as climate change looms larger and larger in our global conversation. And as always, the tech itself has marched forward, rising to the challenges of our new post-COVID lives.

Gaming

Xbox Series X tips and tricks: how to set up your new console

Xbox Series X on a table.

There's no better feeling than booting up a new console and experiencing all the cool features and options available to you. On the flip side, some of the best parts of a console like the Xbox Series X are not automatically presented to you. You could just accept the system as it is and get used to it, but why ignore all the customization options and enhancements you could be enjoying with just a few tweaks?

We get that navigating a console's systems, especially if you're new to the ecosystem, can feel backwards and unintuitive to say the least. Rather than try and dig through layers of menus on your own, we've compiled a list of the best tips and tricks you should know about to get the most enjoyment out of your new Xbox Series X console.