Where to Watch the Best of Sidney Poitier on TV & Streaming
Actor and director Sidney Poitier died on Friday, January 7, at the age of 94. With a legendary career spanning several decades on the big and small screen, the actor was also known for his work during the civil rights movement, using his platform to call for racial equality and human rights.
Starring in Hollywood classics such as In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and To Sir, With Love, the Bahamas native became the first Black actor to take home a Best Actor Oscar for his role as Homer Smith in the 1963 film Lilies of the Field. In addition, he was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1992 and at the 1995 and 2009 Kennedy Center Honors. In 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama, in addition to numerous other accolades.
In celebration of Poitier’s legacy, check out where you can watch his numerous titles on TV, streaming, and On Demand, below.
Amazon Prime Video
Dozens of Poitier titles are available to rent and buy on Amazon and stream for those with a Prime Video membership, including his Oscar-winning performance in Lilies of the Field. Other titles include To Sir, with Love (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn (1999), and The Organization (1971).
His memorable performance in 1967’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is also available on Prime Video, in addition to The Defiant Ones (1958), A Patch of Blue (1965), They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), The Jackal (1997), Brother John (1971), The Mark of the Hawk (1957), Blackboard Jungle (1955), To Sir, with Love II (1996), Sneakers (1992), The Long Ships (1964), Duel at Diablo (1966), The Slender Thread (1965), No Way Out (1950), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), and Mandela and de Klerk (1997).
Other available titles include Band of Angels (1957), Edge of the City (1957), The Bedford Incident (1965), All the Young Men (1960), Little Nikita (1988), The Wilby Conspiracy (1975), and Something of Value (1957).
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Courtesy of The Everett Collection)
Prime Video also includes all of Poitier’s directorial works, including Ghost Dad (1990), Fast Forward (1985), Hanky Panky (1982), and Stir Crazy (1980). He worked double duty starring in several of his films, including A Piece of the Action (1977), Let’s Do It Again (1975), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), A Warm December (1973), and Buck and the Preacher (1972).
On Demand
Depending on your service provider, several of Poitier’s films are available for free, to rent, or to buy On Demand. Xfinity customers can watch many of his memorable performances, including Lilies of the Field, They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, and more for free.
Starz
Stir Crazy, Buck and the Preacher, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner are available to watch for those with a Starz subscription.
Cinemax
In the Heat of the Night is available to watch for those with a Cinemax subscription.
Pluto TV
Starting at 6 p.m./5 p.m. c EST on Friday, January 7, Pluto TV will run a back-to-back movie marathon of The Defiant Ones, Lilies of the Field and Duel at Diablo. The free streaming service will air the lineup again on Saturday, January 8 beginning at 2:30 p.m./1:30 p.m. c EST on the streamer’s Black Cinema channel.
In the Heat of the Night (Courtesy of The Everett Collection)
IMDb TV
The Jackal is available to watch for free with ads on IMDb TV.
Decades
Decades will air Poitier’s 1972 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show on Monday, January 10 at 9/10c, in which the actor discusses his directorial debut, Buck and the Preacher. The episode also features an appearance from Poitier’s good friend Harry Belafonte, as they discuss their early days in Hollywood.
MOVIES! TV Network
The network will air Poitier’s first credited film role in No Way Out on Monday, February 7, followed by an Icon-A-Thon movie marathon in his honor on Monday, February 28. See the full schedule below (times are listed in EST).
February 7
No Way Out (1950) (1:00 p.m./12 p.m. c)
February 28
No Way Out (1950) (1:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. c)
Edge of the City (1957) (3:50 p.m./2:50 p.m. c)
Blackboard Jungle (1955) (5:45 p.m./4:45 p.m. c)
Stay tuned for more as programming announcements are made.
