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The best deals to watch the Oscars live without cable:
get hulu free
hulu with ads
Free for T-Mobile customers
(Save $11.99/month)
Best Live TV Streaming Deals
youtube tv
Free 21-day trial, then $59.99/month for 2 months
(Save $46)
Most Affordable Live TV Streaming Service
sling selection
$19.99/month
It’s been another great year for cinema, and now it’s time to reward the films that shined brightest. The 98th Oscars are in front of us. On March 15, the Academy will honor the best films of 2025 at Hollywood’s biggest night. Conan O’Brien is set to host the ceremony once again, and many of your favorite winners from years past will be presenting the night’s biggest awards.
We’re hoping some of our favorites get the awards they deserve – warrior after warrior, sinners, HamnettAnd much more – but it’s anyone’s game. Want to see who takes home the titles of Best Actress, Best Director, Best Film and beyond? Here are all the details you need to know to watch the 2026 Academy Awards live, with or without cable.
When are the 2026 Oscars?
The 98th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and will air live on ABC and Hulu at 7 pm ET, with the pre-show airing at 6:30 pm ET.
Who are this year’s Oscar nominees?
sinners leads this year’s Oscars with a record-breaking 16 nominations. Basically, any award it could have been nominated for. one fight after another Whereas, is far behind with 13 Marty Supreme earned nine, and Hamnett Grabbed seven nominations.
Every year, there are as many surprises as there are surprises, and 2026 is no different. For example, we were a little surprised by Wicked: for good Remained completely vacant with zero enrolment. Our favorite sad boys, Paul Mescal, newcomer Chase Infinity, and Jesse Plemons were also snubbed by the Academy.
See the full list of 2026 Oscar nominations below in the FAQ section of this story.
How to watch the Oscars live without cable in 2026
For those who have cable or over-the-air TV, you can tune your TV to your local ABC station or watch online through ABC.com or the ABC app by logging in through your pay TV service provider. No cable access? No worries: For the second year in a row, the awards will be streamed simultaneously on Hulu for subscribers.
You also have the option of signing up for a Live TV cable replacement service to watch the Oscars live. These services essentially function just like cable, giving you live access to a full channel selection through your Internet connection (instead of a cable connection). They are contract-free and often offer trials to test them out. This means you can watch the Oscars for free, then cancel before you’re charged. But we’ll leave the details up to you. Here are the best options (and deals) to check out.
hulu streaming deal
Hulu is one of the most generous (if not the most). To all Generous) Streamers offers a 30-day free trial to new and eligible returning customers. This means that you can easily sign up and watch the Oscars for free during that time period. If you don’t qualify for the free trial, we’ve also outlined some ways to save some money on your subscription.
Limited Time Bundle Deal: Save $8/month on three months of Hulu and Disney+
$4.99/month for 3 months (Save $8/month)
As of March 24, new subscribers can get both Hulu and Disney+ with ads for just $4.99 per month for three months. Normally $12.99 per month for the bundle, you’ll save a total of $24 over the three-month subscription. Only new and returning customers can get the deal; Current Disney+, ESPN, Hulu and Bundle subscribers are not eligible.
Best Hulu deal for most people: Save 16% on Hulu (with ads) annual subscription
$99.99 per year (Save 16%)
The best way to cut the cost of a Hulu subscription any day is to sign up for the annual plan with ads. You’ll have to put up with some disruption to your content and pay upfront, but it’ll save you 16 percent, or just $24, over the course of a year. An annual subscription costs $119.99 (or $9.99 per month), while the $11.99 monthly plan will add up to $143.88 a year. If you want to break with the ads, the price drops to $18.99 per month, and there is no annual offer available at this time.
Best for Students: Save $10/month with Hulu Student
Students can sign up for Hulu and stream the Oscars live for just $1.99 per month. That’s more than 80 percent off the normal cost of Hulu with the ads plan. The only requirement is that you can verify your college email address using SheerID.
Best for T-Mobile users: Includes Hulu (with ads) for select customers
Free for T-Mobile customers on Experience Beyond plan (save $11.99/month)
Besides the 30-day free trial, the only other way to get Hulu for free in 2026 is to switch your phone plan to T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan. Customers on this plan can enjoy Hulu, as well as Netflix and Apple TV with commercials, for free.
Mashable Deals
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Are you already on the Experience Beyond plan? Download or open the T-Life app, select Manage > View Plans > Manage Add-ons, then scroll down to Hulu Streaming Benefits and click “Continue.” Follow the prompts to link an existing account or create a new account.
live tv streaming deals
If you prefer a cable option that gives you access to your local ABC station and hundreds of other live channels, we recommend a few alternatives. And many of them offer free trials and introductory pricing. Here are some options.
Best Introductory Offer: YouTube TV
21-day free trial, then $59.99/mo for your first 2 months (save $46)
YouTube TV’s base plan includes over 100 live channels, including your local ABC network. You’ll also get unlimited DVR space, up to three simultaneous streams, and six personal accounts with personalized recommendations. For a limited time, you can get a 21-day trial to test the waters, meaning you can watch the Oscars for free. Then, your first two months will only cost $59.99 per month instead of the usual $82.99 per month.
Most Affordable Overall: Sling TV Select Package (for select regions)
Sling’s a la carte setup and affordable pricing make it a big competitor in the live TV streaming market. You can choose your package and channels depending on what exactly you want to watch. To watch the Oscars live you’ll need access to ABC, which is included in Sling’s Select package for just $19.99 per month. Unfortunately, since ABC is a local network, it is only available in certain local markets. Check if your local market includes ABC before you pull the trigger – includes Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, and more.
Honorable Mention: FuboTV
Free 5-day trial, $48.99 for your first month
FuboTV offers a 5-day free trial for newcomers, so you can watch the Oscars on your local ABC station. You’ll get access to over 200 other networks, plus unlimited cloud DVR and the ability to watch on 10 different screens. After your trial, your first month costs $48.99 ($73.99 per month after that).
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