When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.
The cult classic “Freaks and Geeks” is finally available to stream again. After leaving Netflix in 2018, issues with the show’s music licensing have prevented it from appearing on any other services. But now, Hulu is streaming the series complete with its original soundtrack.
The coming-of-age show, produced by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, focuses on the lives of several students at William McKinley High School in 1980. “Freaks and Geeks” stars Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Phillips, and James Franco. NBC canceled the series after one 18-episode season in 2000. Yet more than two decades later, “Freaks and Geeks” has increased in popularity and is now considered a cult classic.
Its soundtrack is also jam-packed with rock hits from bands like The Who, Van Halen, Rush, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. And while the music adds to the show’s personality, it’s led to rights issues that have made it tricky to air on streaming services. As a result, the only way for most people to watch “Freaks and Geeks” was through DVD or Blu-ray.
As of January 25, however, the show is back online and available on Hulu. If you don’t have a Hulu subscription, you can start watching the show for as little as $6 per month. Students can pay for plans starting at $2 per month.
How to watch ‘Freaks and Geeks’ on Hulu
“Freaks and Geeks” is available to stream on Hulu. The series premiered on the service on January 25. Hulu subscribers can watch the series as part of a Basic or Premium plan. It’s unclear when the show will leave the streaming service.
If you don’t have a Hulu subscription, the cheapest plan features ads and costs $6 per month. College students can save on the plan and pay only $2 per month. For ad-free streaming, you can pay $12 per month for Hulu Premium. New subscribers can try Hulu for 30 days.
Hulu is also available as part of a bundle with Disney Plus and ESPN+. Disney and sports fans who also want to watch “Freaks and Geeks” on Hulu can pay $13 a month to package all three services together. The bundle saves you about $6 a month.
You can also get Hulu + Live TV, a plan featuring Hulu Basic in addition to 65 live TV channels. This package costs $65 a month and you can test it out with a free seven-day trial.
Hulu is available on a number of streaming devices, including Roku, Fire TV, iOS products, PlayStation, Xbox, Chromecast, Android, Samsung smart TVs, Vizio smart TVs, Apple TV, and more.
Why hasn’t ‘Freaks and Geeks’ been on streaming services?
“Freaks and Geeks” has been on streaming services in the past, but the series left Netflix in October 2018 and remained unavailable until Hulu acquired the show in January 2021.
After some time away from streaming services, author Amy Kaufman tweeted producer Judd Apatow to ask why the series wasn’t streaming anywhere. In March 2020, Apatow responded on Twitter and said the music needed to be cleared for licensing in order for the series to air on streaming platforms. This meant fans of the show would have to purchase it on DVD or Blu-ray.
Thankfully, these rights issues have apparently been cleared with Hulu. The show is available with its original soundtrack featuring the likes of Van Halen, Curtis Mayfield, Billy Joel, and The Who.
What else can I watch on Hulu?
In addition to “Freaks and Geeks,” Hulu also has a number of other new and classic shows. Older series available to stream include hits like “Seinfeld” and “Frasier.” You can also catch current shows like “The Great North,” “The Bachelor,” and “Grown-ish.”
Hulu offers original shows as well, from animated reboots to comedy series and award-winning dramas. Episodes of “Pen15,” for example, follow the humorous lives of two teenagers, and all its episodes are available on Hulu. The streaming service also hosts a modern day remake of the ’90s classic “Animaniacs.”
If you’re in the appetite for a movie night, Hulu also has an assortment of films to choose from. Some of the best movies to watch now include “Palm Springs,” “Parasite,” “Austin Powers,” and “The Assistant.”
