CBS has made the decision to stop airing Frosty the Snowman, ending a 55-year tradition of broadcasting the beloved Rankin/Bass holiday classic, which first premiered in 1969.
This follows the recent news that CBS also lost the rights to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, another staple of holiday television programming.
While the specifics of the rights negotiations are unclear, it seems that NBC will take over the airing rights for Frosty the Snowman. The Comcast-backed network has scheduled the special for December 5, 2024, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, with a second airing later that evening.
Additionally, Frosty Returns, the 1992 sequel produced by CBS and starring John Goodman, will not be airing on broadcast TV in 2024.
As of now, there are no listings for the sequel, and it remains uncertain whether any cable networks will pick it up for the season. Fans of the franchise will need to look elsewhere for the follow-up to Frosty the Snowman this year.