How To Watch The 2026 Oscars Online And On TV
The movies have been screened, the ballots have been cast, and it's finally time for the 2026 Oscars to be awarded.
The 98th annual Academy Awards will take place Sunday, March 15, at 7/6c on ABC, honoring the year's biggest achievements in filmmaking. Comedian Conan O'Brien will be back as host for the second consecutive year.
Want to tune in to this year's Oscars, but not sure how? We've got you covered. Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 ceremony, including when and how to watch (even if you don't have cable).
What time do the Oscars start?
The 2026 Oscars will begin at 7/6c on Sunday, March 15. If you want to start your evening with red carpet coverage, E!'s annual pre-show begins at 4 p.m., while ABC will air its own red carpet pre-show starting at 6:30 p.m.
Where are the Oscars held?
The 2026 Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The ceremony has taken place there every year since the Dolby Theatre opened in November 2001.
What channel are the Oscars on?
The 2026 Oscars will air live on ABC, where it's been broadcast in the United States since 1976. As previously reported, once ABC's current contract with the Academy expires in 2028, the ceremony will move to YouTube for 2029 and beyond.
How to stream the Oscars without cable
If you're planning to watch the 2026 Oscars live, you'll need access to ABC — but if you don't have cable, don't despair. You can still watch the ceremony live using one of several streaming services that carries ABC. Options that offer ABC in select areas include:
* DirecTV Stream (plans starting at $89.99/month after a free trial)
* Fubo TV (plans starting at $45.99/month after a free trial)
* YouTube TV (plans starting at $82.99/month after a free trial)
Also, for the first time, the Oscars will stream live on Hulu for all subscribers this year. Hulu subscription options include:
* Hulu standalone plans (starting at $11.99/month after a free trial)
* Hulu + Live TV plans (starting at $89.99/month after a free trial)
* Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max bundles (starting at $19.99/month after a free trial)
* Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN bundles (starting at $19.99/month after a free trial)
Who is hosting the 2026 Oscars?
Comedian Conan O'Brien will host the Oscars for the second consecutive year. During the 2025 ceremony, TVLine readers gave O'Brien's opening monologue an average grade of "B+."
Who is performing at the Oscars?
Although there are five nominees in this year's Best Original Song category, only two of them will be performed live on the 2026 Oscars.
EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — the singers who make up the fictional group HUNTR/X in "KPop Demon Hunters" — will perform that film's breakout song, "Golden," on the broadcast. Meanwhile, Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq will perform the "Sinners" hit "I Lied to You," joined by Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey, and Alice Smith.
Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale will also perform during the Oscars ceremony.
Key nominees at the Oscars
Heading into the 2026 Oscars, Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" has the highest number of nominations — 16! — which is also the new all-time Oscar record for the most nods for a single film.
The Best Picture category features 10 nominees this year, "Sinners" among them. The other nine nods went to "Bugonia," "F1," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "One Battle After Another," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value," and "Train Dreams."
Four of those films appear in the Best Actor category, as well, with Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, and Wagner Moura respectively earning nods for "Marty Supreme," "One Battle After Another," "Sinners," and "The Secret Agent." Ethan Hawke rounds out the category for his work in "Blue Moon."
Over in Best Actress, Jessie Buckley appears to be the frontrunner after sweeping the rest of awards season for her turn in "Hamnet." Other nominees include Rose Byrne ("If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"), Kate Hudson ("Song Sung Blue"), Renate Reinsve ("Sentimental Value"), and Emma Stone ("Bugonia").
Plus, nominees for the most anticipated behind-the-camera award — Best Directing — include Chloé Zhao ("Hamnet"), Josh Safdie ("Marty Supreme"), Paul Thomas Anderson ("One Battle After Another"), Joachim Trier ("Sentimental Value"), and the aforementioned Coogler ("Sinners").