YouTube is now streaming James Bond movies for FREE (in the US)

There are a few franchises that are Christmas classics despite having little or nothing to do about the festive season. Think Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars — but these movies come with a problem: you have to pay to watch them.

But there’s one festive film franchise you aren’t gonna have that problem with: the James Bond movies. Why? Because, for some unknown reason, YouTube is hosting 21 of the famous spy movies that you can watch totally free. Well, if you’re in the US. Or, you know, have access to a VPN.

The majority of the James Bond movies are included, but unfortunately it doesn’t come with any of the Daniel Craig capers (boo) or the final Brosnan movie, Die Another Day (woo).

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But let’s not be too disappointed about the lack of Craig films, because we still get to see movies from Barry Nelson (lol), Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan — all for the low, low price of nothing.

Are you unfamiliar with where to begin with the James Bond movies though? Well, don’t worry, I’m here to help you out. Maybe start with the Connery classic, Goldfinger. Then go and watch On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the sole Lazenby picture.

Now those are out of the way, it’s time for some Roger Moore. That, friends, means checking out The Spy Who Loved Me. Finally, go and watch Pierce Brosnan’s Goldeneye. With those, you’ll get a feel for the tone of each actor’s movies, so it’s a great place to explore from.

You have until the end of December to watch all these James Bond movies on YouTube — so you better get moving until it’s too late!

Why does YouTube have all these James Bond movies streaming for free?

Well, it’s definitely good promotion for James Bond — especially during the pandemic. Having the videos easily available on YouTube would make it easy for families to simultaneously watch them wherever they are.

On top of that, it’s telling that all the James Bond movies that are free-to-watch are from before 2000. One assumes that MGM has already made a huge amount of bank from those films, and the ad-revenue from streaming them on YouTube is a nice cherry on the top.

Still, with things like this, it’s sometimes good not to overanalyze, and instead just enjoy the fact that we can access a lot of quality(-ish) entertainment for the very reasonable cost of no money at all.

Head on over here to check out the free James Bond movies on YouTube. This is the part where I make a pun.

Story by Callum Booth

Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting (show all) Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC. Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too. Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.