It’s been a tumultuous few months since last year’s US Presidential election ended in the defeat of incumbent Republican Donald Trump, but this Wednesday President elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will both finally be sworn into the country’s highest offices. Read on for our unbiased guide explaining how to watch Inauguration Day 2021 and get a Biden inauguration live stream, no matter where you are in the world – including all the free options around.
Watch Joe Biden Inauguration Day 2021 live stream
Inauguration Day 2021 is Wednesday, January 20 and takes place in Washington, D.C. Both domestic and international coverage is extensive, with full TV channel and live streaming details below. The inauguration program is scheduled to begin at around 11.15am ET / 8.15am PT but most major US networks will be on-air well before that. You can watch your preferred channel or commentary from anywhere with the help of a good VPN.
Once the sixth-youngest senator in US history, now 78-year-old Democrat Joe Biden will becoming the oldest President to occupy the Oval Office when he’s sworn in as Donald Trump’s successor and 46th President in the country’s history. Alongside him, 56-year-old Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the country’s first female Vice President, first African-American Vice President, and first Asian-American Vice President.
The pair are expected to arrive at the US Capitol around 11am ET / 8am PT, with opening remarks scheduled according to the Inauguration Day program set to begin at 11.15am ET / 8.15am PT with an invocation by Father Leo J. O’Donovan, a former Georgetown University president. This will be followed by Andrea Hall, a firefighter from Georgia, leading the Pledge of Allegiance a poetry reading by Amanda Gorman, America’s first national youth poet laureate; and a musical performance by last year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show star Jennifer Lopez.
In a bid to put divisive scenes such as those witnessed in the Capitol last week behind the country, a Celebrating America special TV event will take place in the evening of Inauguration Day 2021. Hosted by Tom Hanks and featuring further performances from Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Foo Fighters, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato and more, it’ll also help make up for the fact that the public won’t be able to attend the Biden inauguration like they have previous Presidential swearing in ceremonies.
Follow our guide below as we explain how to watch Inauguration Day 2021 and live stream Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th President of the United States online from anywhere.
How to watch Inauguration Day 2021 from outside your country
If you’re currently travelling abroad for work or out of the country, watching your preferred US election coverage may be difficult, as some viewing options could be geo-blocked.
Thankfully, there’s an easy fix that will let you watch Joe Biden’s inauguration 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.
Use a VPN to watch Inauguration Day 2021 online from anywhere
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How to watch Inauguration Day 2021: live stream Joe Biden inauguration on Fox News
Fox News is the go-to channel for many Americans when it comes to politics and will be offering coverage of Inauguration Day 2021.
If you’ve got Fox News as part of your cable package, then you’re good to go. Just head to the Fox News website, log in with your credentials, and stream away.
If you don’t have cable, then you’ll be pleased to know it’s also available through great value over-the-top streaming service Sling TV. Fox News comes as part of Sling’s $30 a month Blue bundle, and right now you can take advantage of a FREE 3-day Sling Blue trial to carry you into the Biden era without paying a penny.
How to watch Joe Biden’s inauguration: live stream Inauguration Day 2021 on CNN
Many Americans swear by CNN’s coverage of politics and you can be assured that the news-centric network is offering full-on 2021 Inauguration Day coverage for the swearing in of Joe Biden and Kamala – and all that happens before and after it.
If you’ve got CNN on cable, then just make for its website, log-in through your TV provider, and sit back and relax.
Those without cable can easily watch CNN online, too, though – thanks to over-the-top streaming services like Sling TV. Sling offers CNN as part of its great value, $30 a month Blue bundle – and right now, you can get a FREE 3-day Sling Blue trial so you can watch the Biden inauguration online this Wednesday.
Inauguration Day live stream 2021: how to watch Biden inauguration on C-SPAN
C-SPAN is a non-profit, public channel funded by the cable industry and is therefore known for its bi-partisan political coverage. You won’t get the same level of glitz and glamour found on some other channels, but it’s a great option for those wanting to cut through the noise.
Most usefully, C-SPAN often offers a free live stream of important government events – something that Inauguration Day 2021 definitely falls under, so just head to its website to watch the Biden inauguration free online.
More ways to watch Joe Biden’s inauguration in the US
Of course, pretty much every TV network in the US and a great many around the world are going to be covering Inauguration Day 2021, the Celebrating America special that follows in the evening, and more.
Below are country-by-country guides to help you watch the US Presidential election online in places like Canada, the UK and Australia. But first, here are some of the other main US channels that will be offering round-the-clock Presidential election results coverage – and how to get them without cable.
Watch the US Presidential election on ABC for free
If you have ABC as part of your cable package, simply head to the ABC website, log-in with your credentials and stream away. Otherwise, you could take advantage of fuboTV’s FREE 7-day trial, which will get you access to ABC and its news coverage – and a whole lot more. It costs $64.99 a month for an entry-level plan thereafter, should you decide to keep it.
Watch US Presidential election coverage on CBS for free
CBS is available with most basic cable packages, but if you’ve cut the cord and need a streaming-only solution in time for the Biden inauguration, then the network’s CBS All Access service has you covered – get a FREE 7-day CBS All Access trial here. It costs $5.99 a month if you decide to keep it for a plan with limited commercials, or $9.99 if you opt for the more premium commercial-free tier.
Watch US Presidential election results coverage on NBC for free
NBC is included in nearly all cable packages, and if that’s got you covered, then simply log-in with your TV provider details to watch the Presidential election online direct through the NBC website. Alternatively, you can watch Inauguration Day 2021 coverage continue on NBC this Wednesday in a number of major metropolitan markets courtesy of Sling TV and its FREE Sling Blue trial. Sling is one of the most affordable OTT providers around, and you’ll pay just $30 a month if you decide to keep the package.
Here’s a complete rundown of the top streaming services for US national news coverage:
- 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 politics and news coverage in the US 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 keep up with all the latest national news events including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. YouTube TV also has flexible contracts and no extra fees for HD or cancellation.
How to watch US Presidential Inauguration Day 2021 in Canada
If you live in Canada and want to watch the 2021 Inauguration Day live online, you can do so on CTV from 10am ET/7am PT.
As well as watching through the CTV News website, you can use the CTV News app if that’s more convenient.
How to watch Biden inauguration: live stream Inauguration Day in the UK
A number of UK terrestrial channels will be offering US Presidential Inauguration Day live streams this Wednesday – and the best bit is you can watch the Biden Inauguration free online in the UK (provided you’ve got a valid TV license of course).
The BBC and more specifically, BBC One, is still providing coverage from 4pm GMT this Wednesday – as is ITV .
Both channels can be watched on TV or through their slick online streaming platforms and apps – BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, respectively.
Remember, it’s 100% FREE to watch the US election in the UK if you’ve got a valid TV license – and Brits abroad wanting to tune in to their home coverage can vote in the services of a good VPN to beam them back to Blighty and their free Inauguration Day live stream of choice.
If you’ve got Sky TV, then Sky News is also covering all the action from the Capitol.
How to watch Inauguration Day 2021 and live stream Biden inauguration in Australia
Australian TV will also offering coverage of Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th President of the United States, with coverage starting at 3am AEDT in the early hours of Thursday, January 21.
Free-to-air SBS is the place to head.