Skip to main content

Where to watch the 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting special for free

Every Christmas brings several traditions that almost everyone experiences: shopping for impossible-to-find presents, traveling to see relatives you barely know or tolerate, watching live sports while digesting unhealthy food, and watching A Christmas Story on a constant, eternal loop.

For many Americans, watching the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center is one of the hallmarks of the holiday. Seeing a gigantic spruce tree light up with festive lights signals the beginning of the holiday season for most people. But where can you watch it?

How can you watch it for free?

A Christmas tree is lit at Rockefeller Center.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Christmas in Rockefeller Center special is a broadcast television staple and includes not only the tree lighting ceremony but also musical performances as well. The event will again be available for free for anyone who has a TV set, an antenna, and clear reception. The ceremony will be broadcast this year on NBC. Check your local listings for the correct channel.

Where is it streaming?

Nikon 1 J1 Rockefeller-Center-2-ISO-3200If you are a cord-cutter or prefer a streaming option, don’t worry! There are plenty of options. The Christmas in Rockefeller Center special will stream on NBC.com and Peacock. Launched in 2020, Peacock is the home to NBC Universal and Comcast properties such as Universal Pictures, the Olympics, Bravo, and Saturday Night Live.

Peacock is the home to popular NBC shows like The Good PlaceNew AmsterdamLaw & Order: SVU, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The service boasts many sports programs from the WWE, NFL, and Premier League as well. Peacock also has expanded its scripted and non-scripted original programming to include Vampire Academy, The Resort, a documentary about wrestler Teddy Hart, and more!

You can watch the event on Peacock by using a new feature that allows you to access your local channels.

When can I watch it?

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Rolls Into Plaza For 2022 Holidays

The Christmas in Rockefeller Center special, which includes the tree-lighting ceremony, will be broadcast and streamed starting at 8 p.m ET tonight. The program is scheduled to last two hours and end around 10 p.m. ET.

Watch Christmas in Rockefeller Center on NBC

How much does it cost?

There is no fee to sign up for the most basic level of Peacock and no credit card is required upon signing up. All that’s needed is an email address for users to access 10,000-plus hours of content for free. The free tier is very limiting in terms of content. If you would like to access more programs from Peacock, there are various paid tiers to explore.

Peacock Premium is the first paid tier from the streaming service, with access to over 80,000 hours of entertainment for a monthly price of $5, or $50 per year. This tier contains ads but allows users to access new films and live events. If this tier is too restricting, users can upgrade to Peacock Premium Plus, which costs $10 per month, or $100 per year. Premium Plus includes everything from Premium, but contains no ads and allows users to download and watch programs offline.

Who will be at Christmas in Rockefeller Center?

Gwen Stefani - You Make It Feel Like Christmas ft. Blake Shelton

A surprising amount of stars and performers from all walks of life. The impressive guest list includes husband and wife singers Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani (who will sing their holiday song You Make It Feel Like Christmas), Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, Mickey Guyton, SNL veterans Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, the Radio City Rockettes, the Muppets of Sesame Street, and more.

Walking us through this cavalcade of celebrities will be Today anchors Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie and Access Hollywood anchor Mario Lopez. The star of the show, the Christmas tree, is an 82-foot tall Norwood Spruce, which will be decorated with over 50,000 multicolored LED lights and topped with a 90-pound star featuring 3 million Swarovski crystals. Now that’s what I call a show!

Editors' Recommendations

Jason Struss
Section Editor, Entertainment
Jason is a writer, editor, and pop culture enthusiast whose love for cinema, television, and cheap comic books has led him to…
Florida Gators vs. Utah Utes live stream: Watch college football for free
Wide shot of the field at Rice–Eccles Stadium in Utah.

The college football season is underway, and Week 1 features an intriguing Thursday night showdown between teams from the SEC and the Pac-12. The unranked Florida Gators travel to Salt Lake City to take on No. 14 Utah Utes. The Utes are a 4.5-point favorite on FanDuel. Last year, these two met in Gainesville, with Florida edging out a 29-26 win.

The Gators enter year two under head coach Billy Napier, who won six games in his debut season. With quarterback Anthony Richardson in the NFL, the Gators will turn to Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz to line up under center. For Utah, the 2022 Pac-12 champions open the season ranked in the Top 25 and should be in contention for another conference championship. The health of Utes quarterback Cam Rising will play a factor in determining Utah's success.
Watch the Florida Gators vs. Utah Utes live stream on ESPN

Read more
Where to watch the 2023 TOUR Championship: live stream golf for free
The logo of the PGA Tour Championship.

The 2023 PGA Tour season concludes this weekend when a FedEx Cup champion will be crowned at the 2023 TOUR Championship. 30 golfers will be in the field at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. The stakes are high, as the winner leaves East Lake with $18 million.

The TOUR Championship is unique, as the golfer with the most FedEx Cup points starts at -10. That golfer is World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Behind Scheffler is Viktor Hovland at -9, Rory McIlroy at -8, Jon Rahm at -7, and Lucas Glover at -6. If McIlroy wins, it will become the first golfer to win back-to-back FedEx Cups.
Watch the 2023 TOUR Championship on CBS and Golf Channel

Read more
Notre Dame vs. Navy live stream: Watch college football for free
Two Notre Dame football players celebrate.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish kick off the 2023 college football season against the Navy Midshipmen in a special European venue. The Saturday game between Notre Dame and Navy will be played as the 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

The historic rivalry between Notre Dame and Navy will write another chapter on Saturday. Dating back to 1927, this is the 96th meeting between the two schools, with the Fighting Irish holding an 81-13-1 record against the Midshipmen. After a 9-4 season in 2022, the 13th-ranked Irish enter their second year under head coach Marcus Freeman. Additionally, Notre Dame fans will get their first look at quarterback Sam Hartman, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest.
Watch the Notre Dame vs. Navy live stream on NBC

Read more