The US 2020 presidential election is creeping ever closer, but before voting day on November 4 you’ll get to see President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden take the stage to debate the topics that are most important to US voters this election. The first one takes place this Tuesday and we have all the details on how you can watch the Presidential Debate online, on TV and for free.
First Presidential Debate cheat sheet
The first Presidential Debate will take place at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, September 29. The debate will begin at 9pm ET (6pm PT, 2am BST, 11am AEST) and will run for 90 minutes total
Full live streaming and TV channel details are below – including some brilliant free coverage options – and you can watch your preferred coverage from anywhere with this 100% risk-free ExpressVPN trial.
The first debate will run for a total of 90 minutes broken up into six 15-minute segments with no commercial breaks. During this time, Trump and Biden will be asked questions on a variety of topics including their records, the US Supreme Court, the integrity of the election, Covid-19, race and violence in US cities and the economy. Keep in mind though that the debate topics are subject to change and may not follow this exact order – so expect some hard questions aimed at the President and his tax record, too.
If you’ve watched US presidential debates in the past, there were usually two or three moderators that would ensure that each candidate stayed on topic and didn’t run over their allotted time. For the debates in the US 2020 presidential election though, there will be only one moderator in order to reduce the number of people in the room.
Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace will moderate the first presidential debate while political editor of C-Span Steve Scully will moderate the second one and NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker will moderate the third debate.
Whether you’re a Trump loyalist, a Biden supporter or just want to see where both candidates stand on the issues most important to American voters, we’ll show you how to watch the first Presidential Debate from wherever you are in the world this week.
Watch the Trump-Biden debate in the US
If you live in the US and have cable or even an indoor antenna, you’ll be able to watch the first presidential debate on TV as all of the major news networks including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and C-Span will show it. The debate will start at 9pm ET / 6pm PT and will run for 90 minutes. If you’d rather stream the debate online, you’re in luck as C-Span will show the full event on its YouTube channel.
The debate itself will be broadcast live as it happens but you’ll also be able to tune in to see each network’s commentary and score once it’s over.
Don’t want to sign up for cable just to watch the debate on TV? Don’t worry as there are now a number of streaming services, all at different price points, that will give you access to all of the channels showing the debate. We’ve listed a few of our favorites below to make things easier for you.
- SlingTV $30 per month – With SlingTV’s Sling Blue plan for $30 per month, you’ll get access to CNN, Fox News, Fox, MSNBC, NBC (in select markets) and loads of other live TV channels. The service also lets you watch on three screens simultaneously and record content to watch later with its Cloud DVR.
- FuboTV $64.99 per month – FuboTV gives you access to 114 live TV channels including ABC, Fox, Fox News, MSNBC and more but it does not include CNN. The service also includes a 7-day free trial so you can test it out for yourself.
- Hulu with Live TV $54.99 per month – Hulu with Live TV gives you access to all the channels you’ll need to watch the first presidential debate including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. The service also includes its own Hulu Originals and supports a wide variety of streaming devices.
- AT&T TV Now $55 per month – AT&T TV Now’s Plus plan will give you access to over 45 live TV channels including ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC. However, if you want even more channels and an HBO Max subscription, you can sign up for the service’s Max plan for $80 per month.
- YouTube TV $65 per month – YouTube’s live streaming service will give you access to all of the channels you’ll need to watch this year’s presidential debates including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. YouTube TV also has flexible contracts and no extra fees for HD or cancellation.
Live stream the first Trump-Biden debate from the rest of the world
While the first Trump-Biden debate will likely be shown on TV in the UK, Canada, Australia and the rest of the world, watching C-Span’s live stream of the debate on YouTube will probably be the easiest way to watch it. C-Span will show the first presidential debate on YouTube beginning at 9pm ET (6pm PT, 2am BST, 11am AEST) on Tuesday, September 29.
How to watch the Trump-Biden debate online from outside your country
If you’re currently travelling abroad for work or out of the country, watching the first presidential debate will be difficult as many of your viewing options will be geo-blocked.
Thankfully there’s an easy fix that will let you watch the first Presidential Debate online from anywhere. By downloading a VPN, you can watch no matter where you’re currently located. This simple piece of software changes your IP address to one in a different country where the debate is being broadcast, so you can stream it as if you were back home.
Get a 100% risk-free ExpressVPN trial for 30-days
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Topics for the first Trump-Biden debate
The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will cover six topics. However, the topics are subject to change and the debate itself may not follow this exact order:
- Trump and Biden’s records
- The Supreme Court
- The integrity of the election
- Covid-19
- Race and violence in US cities
- The economy
US 2020 Election – Full debate schedule
- First presidential debate – Tuesday, September 29 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Vice presidential debate – Wednesday, October 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Second presidential debate – Thursday, October 15 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida
- Third presidential debate – Thursday, October 22 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee