Which movie is going to sweep the Oscars this year? Will the loud action-comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once clean up all 11 categories it was nominated for? Or will the quiet Banshees of Inisherin get all acting and writing awards this year? Fill out your Oscars 2023 prediction cards, stock up on champagne, and get ready for some bad jokes; the 2023 Academy Awards are at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12. How can you watch the Oscars for free?
The 2023 Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC, which is available as part of almost all basic cable subscriptions. It’s also available for free in most areas if you tune in the old fashioned way: a digital antenna on your TV. However, here at Digital Trends we’re all about cutting the cord from cable. So how can you watch it online without a cable subscription? There are several ways to tune into the Oscars this weekend using the leading live TV streaming services, and some of them offer a free trial, meaning a free Oscars 2023 live stream. But keep reading because licensing ABC to streaming platforms is actually fairly complicated.
Watch the Oscars Live Stream on FuboTV
FuboTV has ABC, and therefore will have the Oscars. FuboTV is one of our favorite live TV streaming services and always our go-to recommendation for streaming a single event. Why? Because there is a weeklong FuboTV free trial. If you sign up this weekend, you can watch the Oscars completely free and cancel before FuboTV charges you any money. We’re betting you won’t though, since it’s a great deal. The basic FuboTV plan will get you 145 channels for $75.
Watch the Oscars Live Stream on YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a great way to stream the Oscars this weekend, and it also has a free trial. You can get two free weeks of YouTube TV, which will get you over 100 channels, including ABC. After your free trial is over and you’re inevitably addicted to the service, the price is $55 per month for three months then $65 per month after that.
Watch the Oscars Live Stream on Sling TV
Sling TV is another great way to ditch your cable box. You get to choose between two packages, Sling TV Blue and Sling TV Orange. They each come with a different pack of channels, so you get to pay for only the type of content you’re interested in. The rules for watching the Oscars on ABC are actually a bit complicated. Sling TV only has the rights to stream ABC in these eight markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, KGO-TV San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno. Make sure you make sure Sling TV has ABC in your area before you sign up. There’s no Sling TV free trial right now, but your first month will only be $20 thanks to a new subscriber deal.
Watch the Oscars Live Stream on Hulu with Live TV
Just this month, Hulu with Live TV dropped every local ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. They don’t broadcast a nation ABC channel, so that means ABC is only available on Hulu with Live TV in certain markets. It is possible, but make sure you check before you sign up. There isn’t a Hulu with Live TV free trial, so you’ll want to be positive you can watch the Oscars before you spend $70 on a month of the service.
Watch the Oscars Live Stream From Abroad with a VPN
If you’re not in the U.S. and want to make sure you can tune into the Oscars, here’s a simple answer: trick your internet into thinking you’re in the U.S. with one of the best VPNs, then watch it on ABC. We’d recommend pairing NordVPN and FuboTV together. NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming, and FuboTV has a free trial and the most straightforward relationship with ABC. Right now a two-year NordVPN plan is $6.69 per month after a 59% discount.
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