Wicked conjures up a March streaming release date on Peacock, and I’m sad that I won’t be able to watch it before the 2025 Oscars

Wicked Part One has finally conjured up a streaming release date on Peacock
The Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-starring musical movie will arrive on March 21
That means fans of the hit film won’t be able to watch it at home before the 2025 Oscars

Get ready to sing your lungs out, everyone, because Wicked has finally landed a streaming release date.

That’s right, Universal Pictures’ hit film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical of the same name is set to be released on Peacock in the US next month. Indeed, it’ll make its streaming debut on the NBCUniversal-owned service on Friday, March 21. At the time of this article’s publication, that’s just over a month from now.

Holding space for March 21. #WickedMovie will be streaming exclusively on Peacock. pic.twitter.com/xvlWvhmPQtFebruary 19, 2025

That’s the good news. The bad news is that Wicked – or, to give its full title, Wicked Part One – won’t be available to watch at home before this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. The 2025 Oscars are set to take place on Sunday, March 3, meaning almost three weeks will have passed before one of 2024’s best movies is released on one of the world’s best streaming services. If you were hoping to catch the multi-Oscar contender before the glitziest event of the year, then, you’re bound to be disappointed.

In some ways, it makes sense that Wicked wouldn’t be available to stream on Peacock before the 97th Academy Awards take place. Wicked has been nominated for 10 Oscars following its November 2024 theatrical debut, and I’d be very surprised if its cast and crew don’t walk away with a few gongs on the night. There’ll be more than a few fans who’ll want to check it out on Peacock if (or, rather, when) it’s won an award or four. That said, the timing of its streaming debut is a bit strange. Interest in Wicked is likely to be at its highest in the week before and after the 2025 Oscars. To me, then, it would be more logical for it to be released on Peacock on February 24 or March 4.

Anyway, if you’re interested in watching any of this year’s Best Picture Oscar nominees from the comfort of your own home, check out our guide on where to stream The Substance, Conclave, Anora, The Brutalist, and Wicked’s other Academy Award competitors.

Where can I stream Wicked in the UK and Australia?

UK and Australian viewers will need to rent or buy Wicked from a digital store if they want to stream it (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Unfortunately, there’s no word on when Wicked will be available to stream for ‘free’ – that is, by way of owning a subscription to a streaming platform – on British or Australian shores. The only way you can currently watch it at home is by renting or buying it from online retailers, such as Amazon, Apple TV, Microsoft, and Sky.

If you’re planning on doing so, you’ll need to be quick. The Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-starring movie won’t be around for much longer on Amazon and Sky in the UK. As of this article’s publication, it’s leaving these platforms in three days so, if you’re reading this after February 22, you’ll be out of luck. Australian audiences only have five days to rent or buy it on Amazon down under, too, so you’ve got until February 24 to see what all of the fuss is about.

Thankfully, it seems that the Apple and Microsoft stores will still allow you to purchase Wicked permanently or temporarily. Anyone who wants to belt out ‘Defying Gravity’ from their couch between now and March 3, then, will be able to do so. Just don’t be surprised if you get a knock at the door from your slightly annoyed neighbor if you do!