It’s Hollywood’s biggest night! Don’t miss the Academy Awards
It’s Hollywood’s biggest night! Don’t miss the Academy Awards
Conan O’Brien will host the Oscars for the second straight year, as ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’ vie for Best Picture.
For months, cinephiles the world over have been gearing up for tonight, as hours of studying, prognosticating, and hoping will finally pay off when the 98th Annual Academy Awards air live from Hollywood. For the second straight year, Conan O’Brien will host the ceremony when it kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ABC. While it looks like Best Picture is coming down to either Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” or Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” there are tons of categories that are far more wide open than in years past. Don’t miss any of the surprises, acceptance speeches, tributes, bits, and more with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.
How to watch the 2026 Academy Awards
- When: Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV or Hulu.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 Academy Awards
Why do we recommend watching the 2026 Academy Awards on DIRECTV?
When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers the most of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels and every broadcast network in practically every market in the country, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit. In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, if you are specifically looking to watch the Oscars premiere, this is the option that makes the most sense.
Additionally, last fall, DIRECTV is able to offer an even more compelling package of channels for cord-cutters who were looking to save money on their streaming setup. DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres. There are multiple options that include ABC, so you have a number of different ways to get the entertainment that you want without breaking the bank.
Disney’s general-entertainment streaming service, Hulu, will also stream the entire ceremony live. Obviously, the live TV streaming service Hulu + Live TV will have access, but so will the standard on-demand version of Hulu.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch the 2026 Academy Awards for free?
Yes, you can. A number of live TV streaming services allow you to take advantage of free trials that would grant you access to the broadcast. Additionally, since ABC is a broadcast network, you can also watch with an over-the-air antenna.
In addition to the DIRECTV trial that I mentioned earlier, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV all offer free trials, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s industry-leading trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
Those are pretty straightforward, but when it comes to the sports-minded streamer Fubo, things can get a little complicated. The YouTube TV trial is said to be “up to three weeks,” but can be as short as two days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the signup process.
If you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch the ceremony for free, I would recommend DIRECTV, because that streamer has the longest guaranteed free trial and gives you the best channel options.
As I mentioned before, Hulu will be streaming the entire event, and since that platform offers a 30-day free trial, if you aren’t interested in getting access to any other channels, and you are just focused on the Oscars, this is a great option.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ABC | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
How to watch the Oscars red carpet
Tamron Hall and Jesse Palmer will host “The Oscars Red Carpet Show,” beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on both ABC and Hulu. The 30-minute special will highlight the evening’s nominees, performers, and presenters. The unique broadcast promises a multiview experience of the red-carpet arrivals, taking fans to the epicenter of Hollywood.
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
How to stream all of the 2026 Oscar nominees
If you want to squeeze in one more film before the ceremony kicks off, The Streamable's guide to all of the Academy Award nominees will come in handy. However, it will also provide all of the details you need to go back and check out the big winners that you might have missed in the lead-up to the Oscars.
If nothing else, you might have time to cross off one of the Best Picture nominees that is still on your list.
Best Picture
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Bugonia
October 23, 2025Two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
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F1
June 25, 2025Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
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Frankenstein
October 17, 2025Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
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Hamnet
November 26, 2025The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.
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Marty Supreme
December 19, 2025Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
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One Battle After Another
September 23, 2025Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.
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The Secret Agent
July 23, 2025Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.
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Sentimental Value
August 20, 2025Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star.
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Sinners
April 16, 2025Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
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Train Dreams
November 5, 2025A logger leads a life of quiet grace as he experiences love and loss during an era of monumental change in early 20th-century America.
