How to Stream the 2025 Oscars Online for Free – Hollywood Reporter
Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterSubscribe for full access to The Hollywood ReporterThe 97th Academy Awards air live on Sunday, March 2 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Here’s how to catch Hollywood’s biggest night without cable.
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The 97th Academy Awards, hosted for the first time by Conan O’Brien, will air live Sunday, March 2 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
For the first year, the awards show will be streaming live on Hulu. Plus, since the ceremony is broadcast on ABC, cord-cutters can watch it live on any live TV streaming service that carries ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream.
As for red carpet coverage, both E! and ABC’s red carpet pre-shows can be streamed on any live TV streaming service that carries E! and ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo and DirecTV Stream. ABC’s coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET and E!’s coverage begins at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.
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Leading the 2025 Academy Award nominees is Emilia Pérez with 13, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked with 10 apiece. A Complete Unknown and Conclave were next with eight mentions each. All five of those films will compete for best picture with Anora, Dune: Part Two, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys and The Substance.
Keep reading for how to livestream the award show online in the U.S. for free.
At a Glance: How to Watch the 97th Oscars
As mentioned, viewers can livestream the show on Hulu or watch on any live TV streaming service that carries ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo and DirecTV Stream.
Since select streamers are offering free trials and limited-time discounts, viewers can watch the star-studded event for free; keep reading to learn more about each option. For the first time ever, the Oscars will be livestreaming on Hulu. Since the service offers a 30-day free trial, new and eligible returning subscribers can watch the ceremony for free. After the trial period, Hulu subscriptions start at $9.99 per month for the Hulu (With Ads) plan.Another subscription option is the Hulu (No Ads) plan for $18.99 per month. However, that tier does not include a free trial. Cord cutters can expand their streaming library with Hulu and Disney+ bundles starting at $10.99 monthly. Learn more about each of Hulu’s subscription options here. Catch the awards show for free on ABC with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV, which comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, starting at $82.99 per month. Available with or without ads, the live TV streamer also carries NBC, CBS, Fox and 90 other major cable news, entertainment and sports channels. New subscribers to Sling’s Blue plan can stream The Oscars on ABC at a discount, as the live TV streaming service is currently half off for the first month. This means new customers can watch the ceremony and everything else the Sling Blue plan has to offer for $25.50 for the first month and $50.99 monthly afterward. Other packages include the Sling Orange plan ($23 for the first month, reg. $45.99 monthly) that offers more than 30 channels, and the combined Sling Orange + Blue tier ($33 for the first month, reg. $65.99 monthly thereafter) that features 46 channels. Fubo carries ABC and offers a seven-day free trial, allowing new subscribers to watch the 97th Academy Awards for free.The cable streamer carries over 200 other news, entertainment and sports channels, and subscriptions start at $79.99 per month for the Pro package, which is currently on sale for $59.99 for the first month. You can record over 1,000 hours of TV shows, movies, games and more (including Monday, Thursday and Sunday Night Football) and watch later on your smartphone, tablet or TV.Other plans include the Elite package (301 channels for $99.99 monthly and currently on sale for $79.99 for the first month) and the Premier tier that comes with 322 channels, NFL RedZone, Showtime and 4K quality for $109.99 monthly, currently on sale for $89.99 for the first month. Watch the 2025 awards show for free on ABC with a five-day free trial to DirecTV Stream, which starts at $86.98 per month for the first two months for the Entertainment + Sports Pack and then renews at $101.98 per month. The cable streamer offers more than 90 channels, including Fox, CNN, CBS, Disney Channel, E!, MSNBC, Nickelodeon and HGTV.Other plans offer over 125-160 channels and are currently running discounts for the first three months. Learn more about package options and ways to save here.
If you are watching the Oscars from outside the U.S., you can use ExpressVPN to access your live TV streaming account and securely watch internationally.
ABC and E! are among the networks covering the 2025 Oscars red carpet. Cord-cutters can stream both E! and ABC’s red carpet coverage on any live TV streaming service that carries E! and ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo and DirecTV Stream.
ABC News will present On The Red Carpet at the Oscars on Sunday ahead of the ceremony at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET until the awards show begins.
E!’s Live From E! red carpet pre-show begins at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET. Prior to that, the network is hosting and televising E!’s Brunch at the Oscars at 11 a.m. PT/2p.m. ET. E! News cohost Keltie Knight, style expert Zanna Roberts Rassi, producer and NBC Sports host Maria Taylor, actress Bresha Webb and E! correspondent Will Marfuggi will discuss the films, predict winners and share info on red carpet style.
Doja Cat, Lisa of Blackpink, Queen Latifah and Raye are all set to perform along with a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Oscar-nominated Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will perform a surprise number.
Leading the nominees is Emilia Pérez with 13, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked with 10 apiece. A Complete Unknown and Conclave were next with eight mentions each. All five of those films will compete for best picture with Anora, Dune: Part Two, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys and The Substance.
Check out the full 2025 Oscars nominations list here and see how to watch the nominated films online here.
After Jimmy Kimmel hosted in 2024 (and 2017, 2018 and 2023), Conan O’Brien steps in to host the Oscars for the first time.
The 2025 Oscars presenters include Joe Alwyn, Halle Berry, Sterling K. Brown, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Robert Downey Jr., Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Cillian Murphy, Connie Nielsen, Amy Poehler, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, June Squibb, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone, Oprah Winfrey, Bowen Yang, Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Rachel Zegler, Harrison Ford, Zoe Saldaña and Samuel L. Jackson. Nick Offerman will serve as show announcer.
Livestream the 97th Academy Awards on Hulu or watch it on any live TV streaming service that carries ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo and DirecTV Stream.
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