How to Watch the 2023 Oscars From the Comfort of Your Couch
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The 2023 Oscars are here, and considering they have a history of going from zzzzz to HUGELY DRAMATIC with literally no advance notice, you’re gonna want to watch. Especially because this year’s nominees are stacked—your boyfriend Paul Mescal will be there, Austin Butler is poised to be wandering around inhabited by the spirit of Elvis, Michelle Yeoh will be in attendance looking amazing per usual, and rumor has it that Lydia Tár herself will be conducting the orchestra that plays everyone off. Plus, Rihanna and Lady Gaga both have songs nominated, which means they might be performing.
In other words, it’ll be an unmissable night, so you have two options:
Force someone with a TV to invite you over and preferably feed you.
Figure out how to stream the show for free.
You’re on your own with that first one, but here’s how to watch the Oscars for free from the comfort of your couch.
First of All, When Do the Oscars Air?
Great question, here’s your answer: The 95th Oscars will be held at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12 (aka today!).
So…How Can You Watch?
The show is airing live on ABC, meaning that if you have basic TV channels, you’re good to go. If you don’t, streaming is your friend, and there are a few ways to hack it without having to add an expensive Live TV package to your Hulu account.
Sign Up for DirectTV
It’s like any other streamer, but there’s a free trial you likely haven’t taken advantage of yet. Meaning, you can enjoy Live TV for five days and then cancel. The catch? You actually have to, like, remember to cancel.
Here’s the fine print: “Free trial available online only. After five-day free trial, service renews at then-prevailing rate (currently min. $74.99/mo. without promo offers + taxes) unless you cancel online or by calling 855-793-0307.”
Sign Up for FuboTV
Basically the same idea as DirectTV, only its trial is seven days and you get an email reminding you that it’s about to be over, so you can actually cancel and not get stuck with a bill.
Sign Up for YouTube With Live TV
More of the same vibes, but you get two weeks of free TV and it’s (for a limited time) $54.99 for the first three months—meaning that if you do forget to cancel, it’s slightly cheaper than the other options.
And last but not least?
Use Someone’s Cable Plan
Preferably your parents’, but your cousin’s ex-boyfriend’s mom’s also works. Either way, you’ll want to head to ABC.com and click “live TV.” From there, you’ll be prompted to select a cable provider:
If you know the username and password of someone’s Xfinity account, for example, it should let you log in and watch the show live. However, with streaming giants (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) cracking down on password sharing at the moment, it’s probably a good idea to ask whoever’s account you’re logging in to for permission just so they don’t get booted out on their end, etc.
What About the Oscars Red Carpet?
ABC will have a red carpet special of its own, but let’s be honest: We all live for the chaos that is E! News. It hasn’t announced details on its special just yet, but you can watch live using the methods above, and we’ll let you know if it ends up being streamable on social! (Psst: Last year’s Live From E!: Oscars kicked off at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.)
Kay, I’ll leave you with this, happy Oscars!
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