Ellen DeGeneres at the 86th Annual Academy Awards
Each year, the Academy Awards separates the good from the great in the world of film. The Oscars represent the collective values of Hollywood royalty (for better or worse), and receiving one of those naked gold dudes means you’ve achieved true excellence in your film-related field (yes, even you, Juicy J).
This year’s ceremony — the 90th — will be hosted by late-night personality Jimmy Kimmel for the second straight year. Movies to watch include Guillermo del Toro’s monster-human romance The Shape of Water and Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Here’s the full list of nominees.
If, for whatever reason, you’re not planning on watching the 90th Academy Awards on television, it’s all good. Digital Trends has you covered. We’ve compiled all the best ways to watch Hollywood’s biggest night when it kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, both on your living room TV and elsewhere. If you need to catch up with the nominees, here’s a short list of top films available to stream.
Note: Red carpet coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. The ceremony itself will begin at 8 p.m.
Watch on TV
If you are planning to watch on TV, ABC has broadcast the Academy Awards for the last 40-plus years, and will continue to do so until at least 2028. Once the awards ceremony is underway, ABC will be the only TV channel showing the Oscars. Where ABC falls on your channel list, however, depends on your cable or satellite package, as well as your location.
If you’re not a cable customer, you should look into picking up an HD antenna. There are numerous digital antennas that will allow you to pick up ABC (free of charge!), and we’ve recently rounded up the best of them. After you get your antenna set up, enter your address here to find out which channel ABC is being broadcast over in your local area. An antenna might not be as reliable as cable, but the broadcast signal occasionally actually offers higher-quality video than what your satellite or cable provider serves up.
Watch via ABC’s website or app
Watching the Academy Awards on your desktop is as easy as visiting ABC’s website and logging in with a cable subscription from a participating TV provider. (Most every TV provider has ABC.) And if you miss the live-stream, the telecast will be available to stream on-demand for a limited time following the live broadcast. If you’d prefer to watch on a smartphone or tablet, the ABC app is your best bet. The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire devices. Here are lists for direct download links and frequently asked questions.
Here’s the catch: To watch via either of these methods, you’ll need to be in one of eight locations: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Fresno, California. Otherwise, streaming won’t be available via the ABC website or app (lame, we know).
Streaming services
Every popular cord-cutting platform offers ABC, one way or another. You might need to be living in the right area, though, so make sure to double check before ponying up any cashola. They all offer free trials, too, so if all you want to do is watch the Oscars and bail, you can do that.
Sling TV
If you use Sling TV, you’ll need a Sling Orange subscription ($20 per month) and the $5 Broadcast Extra add-on package, which gives you access to ABC, Univision, and UniMás. That’s not all, though — local broadcasts are restricted, so you’ll need to check here to find out if you can even get ABC before shelling out that dough.
The Sling TV app is available on the following devices:
Compatible Devices
iOS devices
Android devices
Android TV
Roku devices
AirTV Player
Amazon Fire devices
LeEco
ZTE
Xiaomi
Select smart TVs
Apple TV
Google Chromecast
Google Chrome
Windows 10 (app)
DirecTV Now
As with Sling TV, DirecTV Now only offers live ABC coverage in select markets, but the list is a little longer. In addition to the markets listed above (Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, and San Francisco), the following markets get access with a DirecTV Now subscription: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boston; Milwaukee; Monterey/Salinas, California; Fort Smith/Fayetteville, Arkansas; Jackson, Mississippi; Kansas City; Oklahoma City; Omaha, Nebraska; Pittsburgh; Portland/Auburn, Maine; Savannah, Georgia; and West Palm Beach, Florida.
To get ABC on DirecTV Now in one of the aforementioned markets, you’ll just need to sign up for the $35 “Live a Little” package, which is the cheapest package available. DirecTV Now is available on the following devices:
Compatible Devices
Apple iPad
Amazon Fire devices
Apple iPhone
Roku devices
Apple iPod Touch
Android phones
Apple TV
Android tablets
Safari
Google Chromecast
Google Chrome
Select smart TVs
PlayStation Vue
Just like Sling TV, you’ll need to check (just click the little pin icon next to the Start Streaming button in the upper-right corner) to see whether ABC is available in your area. If it is, you’ll only need the $40 Access plan (the cheapest Vue plan) to watch.
PlayStation Vue is available on the following devices:
Compatible Devices
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Android devices
Android TV
iOS devices
Apple TV
Android devices
Amazon Fire tablets
Roku devices
Amazon Fire TV
Google Chrome
Safari
Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu’s Live TV streaming program, launched in mid-2017, just offers one channel package, for a $40 monthly fee. As with most other options here, ABC is only available in select markets. Head here and enter your ZIP code to see if you qualify. Hulu with Live TV is available on the following devices:
Compatible Devices
Apple iPad
Amazon Fire TV devices
Apple iPhone
Roku devices
Mac
PC
Android phones
Android tablets
Apple TV
Google Chromecast
Xbox One
Xbox 360
Youtube TV
Of all the streaming services we’ve listed, Youtube TV is (by far) the most comprehensive when it comes to supported locations. For $35 per month, you’ll get ABC and a host of other channels (though, obviously, we only care about ABC right now). If your area isn’t listed, simply start the sign-up process and it’ll prompt you to enter your ZIP code.
YouTube TV is available on the following devices:
Compatible Devices
Apple iPad
Apple TV
Apple iPhone
Roku devices
Android tablets
Android TV
Android phones
Google Chrome
Google Chromecast
Select smart TVs
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