You can watch the Oscars Live Stream Free on Live News Chat.
Hollywood has been building to this moment for twelve months. Tonight, the 98th Academy Awards take over the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and the entire industry holds its breath. Sinners has made history before a single trophy has been handed out, breaking the all-time record for Oscar nominations. Conan O’Brien is back for a second round hosting. And somewhere in the mix, a very tense Timothée Chalamet is hoping the Academy finally makes his night.
Whether you are a devoted cinephile who has tracked every precursor award since October or someone who just wants to watch the speeches and see what gets worn on the red carpet, here is your complete guide to watching the 2026 Oscars live stream tonight, for free or cheap, no matter where you are.
When Do The 2026 Oscars Start?
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 15, 2026. The show runs approximately three and a half hours, so plan for a finish around 10:30 p.m. ET if the speeches cooperate, which they rarely do.
If you want to catch the red carpet action before the ceremony, the official Oscars Red Carpet Show kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu. For the more dedicated fashion watchers, ABC News Live starts its “On the Red Carpet at the Oscars” coverage at 3:30 p.m. ET, and E! gets the whole evening rolling with its Brunch at the Oscars pre-show starting at 2 p.m. ET.
How To Watch The Oscars Live Stream Free Tonight
You can watch the Oscars Live Stream Free on Live News Chat.
The 2026 Oscars air live on ABC, the traditional broadcast home for the Academy Awards. If you have a cable subscription or an antenna, you are already set. But cord-cutters have solid options too, and several of them cost nothing tonight.
Hulu: This is the headline streaming option for 2026. Hulu is carrying the Oscars live for all subscribers, including the basic ad-supported tier. If you already have Hulu, open the app and search for ABC. That is your stream. If you do not have Hulu, a basic subscription runs $7.99 per month, though the Disney Plus and Hulu bundle is currently on promotion for $4.99 per month for new subscribers through March 24.
YouTube TV: If you are a YouTube TV subscriber, you can watch ABC live and stream the ceremony that way. YouTube TV also offers a free trial for new users, which would cover tonight’s show at no cost.
FuboTV: FuboTV carries ABC and is offering a free trial for new subscribers. Sign up, stream the Oscars, decide later whether you want to keep the service. It is a clean play for tonight.
Hulu + Live TV: If you want a more complete live TV package going forward, Hulu’s live TV tier also includes ABC and gives you access to the stream.
ABC.com and the ABC App: If you have a cable or streaming TV login that includes ABC, you can authenticate through ABC’s website or app and watch from there.
One thing worth noting: the Academy’s deal to air the Oscars on YouTube does not begin until 2029, so this year you will not find the ceremony streaming freely on the platform.
Watching The Oscars Outside The U.S.
International viewers have their own broadcast options. In the United Kingdom, the ceremony airs on ITV1 and streams on ITVX, beginning at 11 p.m. GMT. Canadians can catch the show on CTV. Australians get their version on Channel 7, which means the Monday morning after will have a very specific energy in certain households. The Academy also maintains a full list of international broadcast partners organized by country on its official site.
Who Is Hosting The 2026 Oscars?
Conan O’Brien is back for his second consecutive year as host of the Academy Awards. The comedian and television veteran hosted the 97th Oscars in 2025 and was asked to return, which says something about how the show went. O’Brien has been teasing the material in recent days, describing the prep as a “running battle” right up until showtime and promising that some bits this year are “a little more ambitious” than last year. Given the sprawling list of nominees and Hollywood’s current appetite for self-reflection, he has plenty of material to work with.
Who Is Nominated? The Biggest Storylines Tonight
Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s Southern Gothic supernatural epic, entered tonight’s ceremony as the most nominated film in Oscar history, breaking the record previously shared by Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve. The Ryan Coogler-directed film accumulated an extraordinary number of nominations, and a dominant win tonight would make it one of the most decorated films ever.
Close behind is One Battle After Another, with 13 nominations, followed by Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, and Sentimental Value, each with 9. Hamnet rounds out the major contenders with 8 nominations.
In the acting categories, the races entering tonight are genuinely competitive. Timothée Chalamet is chasing his first Oscar for Marty Supreme. Michael B. Jordan is nominated for Sinners. Leonardo DiCaprio is in contention through One Battle After Another. On the women’s side, Emma Stone is nominated for Bugonia, while Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) feature in supporting categories.
Who Is Presenting And Performing?
The presenter lineup for the 2026 Oscars is long and heavy with recognizable names. Last year’s acting winners return to the stage: Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin, and Zoe Saldana are all presenting. They are joined by Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway, Demi Moore, Maya Rudolph, Chris Evans, Javier Bardem, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nicole Kidman, Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Channing Tatum, Jimmy Kimmel, and others. Current nominees Rose Byrne, Delroy Lindo, and Wagner Moura are also on the presenter list.
Two of the five Best Original Song nominees will be performed live. Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq will perform “I Lied to You” from Sinners, joined by a stacked ensemble including Misty Copeland, Brittany Howard, Shaboozey, Buddy Guy, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, turning the performance into a full cinematic tribute to the film’s musical DNA. The K-Pop group behind “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters will also perform. Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale are also on the program.
Producers have also confirmed a Bridesmaids cast reunion, a Marvel reunion, and described an “extraterrestrial” surprise for the evening, which is exactly the kind of vague tease that keeps people from changing the channel during the technical awards.
The Red Carpet: When And Where To Watch
If the ceremony itself is the main event, the red carpet is the pregame show that a significant portion of the audience actually cares about more. Here is the full rundown of coverage windows:
- 2:00 p.m. ET: E!’s Brunch at the Oscars, hosted by Justin Sylvester and Keltie Knight
- 3:30 p.m. ET: ABC News Live’s “On the Red Carpet at the Oscars,” hosted by Lara Spencer, Whit Johnson, and Linsey Davis
- 4:00 p.m. ET: E!’s Live From the Red Carpet
- 6:30 p.m. ET: The official Oscars Red Carpet Show on ABC and Hulu, hosted by Tamron Hall and Jesse Palmer
- 7:00 p.m. ET: The 98th Academy Awards ceremony begins on ABC and Hulu
Frequently Asked Questions
What channel are the Oscars on tonight?
The 2026 Oscars air live on ABC. They also stream live on Hulu for all subscribers.
Can I watch the Oscars for free?
Yes. If you have an antenna and can receive ABC over the air, you can watch for free. YouTube TV and FuboTV both offer free trials for new subscribers that would cover tonight’s ceremony.
What time do the 2026 Oscars start?
The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Who is hosting the 2026 Oscars?
Conan O’Brien is hosting for the second consecutive year.
How long are the Oscars?
The ceremony runs approximately three and a half hours, typically wrapping up around 10:30 to 11 p.m. ET.
Where are the 2026 Oscars being held?
The 98th Academy Awards are taking place at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Is Sinners going to win Best Picture?
Sinners enters tonight as the record-setting nomination leader and the frontrunner in most major categories, though One Battle After Another is right behind it and the Academy has surprised us before.