Where to watch The Buddy Holly Story (1978) tonight
The Buddy Holly Story (1978) runs 1 h 54 min, is rated PG in the US and averages 7.1 from 137 TMDB members. A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly, who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career…
- Runtime
- 1 h 54 min — ends 9:54 pm if you start at 8:00 pm
- Rated
- PG (US)
- Genres
- Drama, Music
- Released
- May 18, 1978
- TMDB rating
- 7.1 / 10 from 137 votes
- Director
- Steve Rash
- Starring
- Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, Conrad Janis
- Language
- English
Where to watch it tonight
Availability loads live for your country. See where The Buddy Holly Story streams (JustWatch via TMDB) →
Streaming availability by JustWatch. In the US, as of 2026-11-05: Criterion Channel (subscription), Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel (subscription), The Roku Channel (free with ads), YouTube Free (free with ads).
Questions people ask
- How long is The Buddy Holly Story?
- The Buddy Holly Story is 1 h 54 min long (114 minutes). If you start it at 8:00 pm it ends at 9:54 pm; add about 20 minutes if you watch trailers first.
- What is The Buddy Holly Story rated?
- The Buddy Holly Story is rated PG in the US.
- Is The Buddy Holly Story a good movie to watch with a group?
- Better for one or two who will actually watch. Drama and Music reward attention; a room that talks over it will miss the point.
- Where can I stream The Buddy Holly Story?
- In the US, as of 2026-11-05: Criterion Channel (subscription), Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel (subscription), The Roku Channel (free with ads), YouTube Free (free with ads). Availability changes often; this page loads the live list for your country (streaming availability by JustWatch).
Lists it could be on
If you like The Buddy Holly Story
- Elvis (2022)
- La Bamba (1987)
- I Saw the Light (2016)
- Michael (2026)
- The Greatest Showman (2017)
- Almost Famous (2000)
- Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
- Bound for Glory (1976)
The Buddy Holly Story on TMDB · This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Lights Down is a free tool: tell it your streaming services and how long you have, and it ranks what you can stream tonight, with a this-or-that, a roll, a bracket and a wheel. Movie data from TMDB; streaming availability by JustWatch. Page updated 2026-11-05. 
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