How to Watch the 2026 Oscars Ceremony Live Online
by Payton Turkeltaub · VarietyIf you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
With the Oscars Sunday night, it’s time to get your viewing plans in order. The 98th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET at the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. Conan O’Brien returns for a second year to host the awards ceremony.
The ceremony is set to air live on ABC and Hulu for all subscribers. Before the awards kick off, ABC will present a red carpet pre-show beginning at 12:30 p.m. PT/ 3:30 p.m. ET, during which Lara Spencer, Whit Johnson and Linsey Davis will interview this year’s talent. Talking red-carpet fashion will be Roshumba Williams and Joe Zee.
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Beginning at 4 p.m. E.T., CNN’s correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister and Variety’s co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh will also be live from the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles as they interview the evening’s buzziest nominees and stars.
To tune into the red carpet pre-show and Oscars ceremony, you can catch the livestream on Hulu or any live TV streamer with access to ABC, such as DirecTV, Sling TV and Fubo TV. Hulu, DirecTV and Fubo all have free trials that you can use to watch the Oscars online without cable for free.
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” leads the pack heading into Sunday with a record-breaking 16 nominations, while Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” trails close behind with 13. Also nominated for best picture are “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value” and “Train Dreams.”
This year’s lineup of A-list presenters includes Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal, Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adrien Brody, Javier Bardem, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Mikey Madison, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Saldaña.
Variety previously reported that the cast of Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids” — including Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne and Ellie Kemper — will reunite onstage to mark the 2011 film’s 15-year anniversary.
Ahead of Sunday, check out Variety’s Awards Editor Clayton Davis’ final Oscars predictions here. Davis is predicting “Sinners” will take home the award for Best Picture and Director, along with wins in five other categories.