Where to watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2024? We have compiled a list of the best places to watch and stream The Lord of the Rings's entire trilogy, as of 2024. This is an updated list of streaming services that currently have LOTR!
Watch The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Free: 2024 Update
• The only place to watch the entire LOTR trilogy, as well as The Hobbit movies, for free, is on HBO Max
• The series can be rented for an additional cost on Amazon Video or YouTube
It has been over 20 years since the Oscar award-winning Lord of the Rings movie trilogy featuring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Liv Tyler first debuted in 2001.
The trilogy contains The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, and even went on to produce a non-canon series on Prime called The Rings of Power, with season 2 coming out on August 29, 2024.
Considered a modern classic, fans everywhere continue to watch the series every year. But where could fans stream all Tolkien trilogies online? Here's an updated 2024 list of which streamers have The Lord of the Rings franchise.
Is the Lord of the Rings on Netflix?
The Lord of the Rings is not available on Netflix, unfortunately. Netflix has its own fantastical films and shows to focus on such as The Witcher, any of the Neil Gaiman series, Stranger Things, and more. Fret not, LOTR is available elsewhere on this list.
Is The Lord of the Rings on Hulu?
The Lord of the Rings was removed from the Hulu library. There has been no word on whether The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King will return to the platform yet.
Is The Lord of the Rings on Disney+?
The Lord of the Rings series is not on Disney+ and is unlikely to ever be added there, as Disney only streams their own library of content.
You can however watch many Disney originals such as films and shows Marvel and Star Wars, including Star Wars: The Acolyte, The Bad Batch, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, etc.
Is the Lord of the Rings on HBO Max?
All three of The Lord of the Rings movies are streaming on HBO Max. You can also watch The Hobbit trilogy starring Martin Freeman on HBO Max.
This is the only streaming service currently airing all 6 movies with their subscription. It's expected to remain on the platform long-term, since HBO's parent company, Warner Media owns the rights to The Lord of the Rings.
Max has a couple of subscription options, which you can check out here: ad-free streaming costs $16.99/month or $9.99/month for an ad-supported option. But Max also has a new Ultimate ad-free plan charging $20.99/month.
Meanwhile, signing up for an annual plan can save subscribers 16%, with the annual Ultimate ad-free plan costing $209.99 a year, the ad-free plan costing $169.99/year, and the ad-supported plan costing $99.99/year.
Is the Lord of the Rings on Amazon Prime Video?
The Lord of the Rings is available on Amazon Prime if you pay the rental cost. Check out how each film costs on the streamer below:
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - $3.79 (for rent), $14.99 (to buy the extended edition)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - $3.79 (for rent), $14.99 (to buy the extended edition)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - $3.79 (for rent), $14.99 (to buy the extended edition)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - $3.79 (for rent)
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - $3.79 (for rent)
- The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy Extended Edition - $29.99 available for purchase on Prime Video
What Order Should I Watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies?
The Hobbit trilogy takes place chronologically before The Fellowship of the Ring.
However, a word of caution: the former series includes a number of foreshadowing and spoilers that could take away the authenticity behind The Lord of the Rings experience.
So, while it's ideal to watch The Hobbit before The Lord of the Rings in order by their timeline, fans would miss the nostalgia and spotting the easter eggs in the former. However, this is entirely up to the viewers, how they see fit.
Essentially watch The Hobbits first if you want to go about the storyline in order, but choose The Lord of the Rings franchise if you want to keep up with how fans got to know the Tolkien franchise.
Overall, the recommended watch order is as follows:
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
There is one more series that followed after the movie franchises, and that is The Rings of Power, which is only available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
While the Prime show is not canon to Tolkien's lore, this takes place a thousand years before the films, considering it as a prequel.
However, keep in mind that the show has yet to finish, as of writing, which could disappoint fans in terms of wanting to be exposed to the full story behind the franchise.
As for the highly anticipated anime series, The War of Rohirrim, no official photos or final teaser trailers have been released about this yet, so it would be best to keep an eye out for it now.
Are you a longtime fan of The Lord of the Rings? What viewing order do you suggest? Are there any streaming services you would like to see them stream on? Leave us a comment below!
Make sure to follow our official Facebook page for more news and explainer articles about your favorite films and TV shows!