Is ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Streaming Now? When and Where Will the Film Stream?

May the odds be ever in your favor this weekend, as you seek out tickets to “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” The newest entrant in the franchise is actually a prequel, and though preview screenings have already begun, it officially heads to theaters on Friday, Nov. 17.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” follows Coriolanus Snow, but not in the guise most viewers will know him. Instead of the iron-fisted President of Panem, “Ballad” follows Snow as an 18-year-old, desperate to revive the prestige of his fading family name. When he is assigned to mentor a young tribute with a highly independent streak for the 10th Hunger Games, Snow realizes he has an opportunity to vault himself to notoriety.

As of this writing the movie is holding onto a “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 61% of reviewers registering their approval. An ensemble cast featuring Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and Jason Schwartzman alongside stars Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler; the latter has drawn special praise from critics.

Watch the Trailer for ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”:

Is the New ‘Hunger Games’ Movie Streaming?

If you wanted to see the new “Hunger Games” movie as part of a marathon after streaming the original movies on your own couch, we have to disappoint you. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is only available in theaters, and since the movie is being distributed by Lionsgate, it could be quite a while before fans see it on a subscription streaming service.

Lionsgate has kept pretty strictly to a policy of allowing movies to stay in theaters for around 120 days before heading to streaming. Movies like “Joy Ride,” “Sisu” and “John Wick: Chapter 4” all blew right past the 45 and 70-day marks in theaters, and Lionsgate clearly wants to maximize the theatrical value of its films before putting them on a relatively unprofitable streaming platform when they can keep getting box office revenues.

Where Will ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Be Available to Stream When it Leaves Theaters?

Technically speaking, the answer to this question could be anywhere. Lionsgate is something of an arms dealer when it comes to streaming its titles and could sell the streaming rights to any outlet it chooses. It could just as easily decide to keep “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” for itself, and putting the movie on its streamer STARZ is a distinct possibility.

The other most likely destination for the new “Hunger Games” prequel is Peacock. That streamer houses all the other movies in the “Hunger Games” franchise, and there is a possibility that its deal to acquire the streaming rights to those films included a proviso for all future titles that Lionsgate chooses to produce. If you want to get a “Hunger Games” marathon in before you go see the new one, head over to Peacock now.

Our best guess for when you’ll be able to stream “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” will be on or around Friday, March 15, 2024. That’s 120 days from its initial release, and the movie will almost certainly appear on either Peacock or STARZ.