Keep up With All the Drama, Crying, and Speeches of the Oscars Without Cable: Here's How
Updated March 10 2023, 1:59 p.m. ET
It’s that time of year again, folks. The 2023 Academy Awards aka the Oscars are almost upon us, and we’re ready to soak up all the fashion, unscripted moments, and envelope blunders that Hollywood’s biggest night has to offer.
Though the ceremony will be airing live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12, you don’t need a TV to watch the drama unfold at the 95th Oscars.
Here's how to watch the Oscars without cable.
It’s wild the amount of content that streaming services offer subscribers these days. DirecTV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, and Hulu With Live TV all carry ABC, so you can watch the telecast live using one of these services if you have a subscription.
If you don’t, these platforms offer free trials for customers looking to test them out before committing to a monthly fee. We suggest you sign up for the service a few hours before the ceremony and then cancel your subscription before the trial period is over. This way, you won’t have to pay!
Additionally, if you do have a cable subscription, the Oscars will be streaming through ABC's website and on the ABC app.
Red carpet arrivals begin at 6:30 p.m. EST, so don't forget to tune in if you want live updates of all the glamorous dresses and handsome suits on Hollywood's elite! There's also an even earlier pre-show that starts at 1:30 p.m. EST, if you can't wait until evening.
Who is hosting the Oscars? Plus: performers, new changes to the ceremony, and more.
The 95th Academy Awards will be hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who previously hosted in 2017 and 2018.
“Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap,” Kimmel said in a statement, per ABC. “Either way, I am grateful to the academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no.”
After public backlash following producers' decision to cut eight categories out of the live show in 2022, this year's ceremony will include all categories televised for the live event.
Last year's controversial choice led many fans and celebrities to call out how damaging the decision could be to the careers of up-and-comers, especially in the documentary category.
Additionally, in the wake of last year's infamous Oscars slap (in which Will Smith walked onstage and hit host Chris Rock during the live show), producers have reportedly implemented a "crisis team" to prevent a similar instance for happening again.
Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told Time in February 2023: "...we have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place. We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen."
This year's show will include performances from Sofia Carson and Diane Warren (who will perform "Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman); Rihanna (who will perform "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever); Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava (who will perform "Naatu Naatu" from RRR); and David Byrne, Son Lux, and Stephanie Hsu (who will perform "This Is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once, with best supporting actress nominee Stephanie filling in for nominee Mitski).
Don't forget to tune in to the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.