Oscars 2020: How to Watch and Stream The Academy Awards
This awards season has already been bursting with memorable moments. From the SAG Awards' Brad and Jen reunion to Zendaya's bionic Tom Ford top at Critics’ Choice, Hollywood is pulling out all the stops and it seems the best is yet to come. We're now about to watch the Oscars 2020 ceremony unfold, and though female directors and other notables were left out of the nominations yet again (ugh!), there is still plenty to look forward to when the awards happen on February 9 at 8 PM EST. How many awards will Joker win after receiving 11 nominations? Will the best picture be 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite, or something else entirely? Will Timothee Chalamet charm us with his red carpet look and beautiful bone structure? If past years have taught us anything, it’s that the Oscars 2020 always have a few surprises, so it's important to figure out how to watch and stream the ceremony if you want to catch all the action.
Whether you’re just tuning in for the red carpet (and potential for a later jaw-dropping outfit change) or hoping to see your favorite nominees make some pop culture quips or political commentary in their acceptance speeches, now is the time to figure out how to watch the show so you can stop googling and start live-tweeting the biggest moments with snacks in hand. If you’re part of the ever-growing group that uses the internet and streaming services in place of a traditional TV, the good news is there are several ways to catch tonight's ceremony. We’ve collected six of the best, so read on to see how to watch and stream the Oscars 2020.
ABC is the official Oscars 2020 host, so if you have a TV, simply flip to the station to watch the show live. If you live in Chicago, Fresno, Houston, LA, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, or San Francisco, you can also log in with your TV provider to the ABC app or abc.com/watch-live. The stream is accessible in select other cities with DirecTV, and you can find a list of these at the ABC website. Head to the app's “Live TV” tab to start streaming the award ceremony. The pre-show will be available starting at at 6:30 pm EST, so you can spot the best red carpet looks and the full show without ever changing the channel.
If you don’t already have the $54.99/month Hulu with Live TV package and haven’t borrowed a friend’s password, there’s always the option of 7-day free trial. Not only will you have the chance to binge-watch as many of their original series as possible; you’ll also be able to stream the Oscars 2020. Plus, if you set up your trial ahead of time, you can watch Oscar-nominated documentary Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl). The film is up for the Documentary (Short Subject) honor and will remind you of some of the girl power that has been prominent in so many of this year’s best films.
AT&T TV Now is a streaming service that will allow you to access a wide range of TV channels from just about all of your devices. It includes a livestream of ABC. The price is $65 per month, but if you time it right, you can access their week-long free trial just in time to catch the Oscars 2020 show. While you have it, it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of HBO or over 45 other channels like E!, FX, and MTV.
@TheAcademy will be providing a livestream of their Oscars 2020 pre-show on Twitter starting at 6:30pm EST on February 9. Like last year, they will have DMs open for all your questions. While this is a great way to access Oscars content for free, livestreams on social media can be unreliable, frequently cutting in and out. Hopefully, an official source means you'll be able to enjoy the pre-show to its fullest, but if this method fails, you can always turn to those who are sure to be live-tweeting the entire pre-show and ceremony. Plus, you’ll be able to follow the trending moments from the Oscars 2020 and follow #Oscars, so you’ll definitely be able to debrief with friends and co-workers on Monday.
YouTube’s service YouTube TV will give you access to the Oscars 2020 by way of a five-day free trial. When your five days are up, it’ll cost you $49.99/month to keep access to ABC and all its other channels, including TLC and Bravo. Plus, if your Oscar nominee watch-list is too long to get through before the big night, you can cheat a little by using YouTube to watch the movie trailers instead! Hopefully they’ll give you a better idea of where your loyalties should lie by the time awards are handed out.
