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The best deals for watching the Oscars live without cable:
BEST WAY TO GET HULU FOR FREE
Hulu with ads
Free for select T-Mobile customers
(save $9.99 per month)
BEST LIVE TV STREAMING DEAL
YouTube TV
free 21-day trial, then $69.99 per month for 6 months
(save $78)
MOST AFFORDABLE LIVE TV STREAMING SERVICE
Sling Blue
$23 for your first month, then $45.99 per month
(save $22.99)
After another year of movie magic, the 97th Academy Awards are upon us. On March 2, Hollywood will honor the films that outshined the rest. The one and only Conan O’Brien is set to host the Oscars ceremony, with many of your favorites from years past presenting the biggest awards of the night.
Want to see who takes home the titles of Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, and more? Here’s everything you need to know to tune into the ceremony live — with or without cable.
When are the 2025 Oscars?
The 97th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2, 2025, and will air live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu, with the pre-show airing ahead of it at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Who are this year’s Oscar nominees?
Emilia Pérez leads this year’s Oscars with a baker’s dozen nominations, including nods for Best Picture, Best Director, Lead Actress, and Supporting Actress. The Brutalist and Wicked follow with 10 nominations apiece, while Conclave and A Complete Unknown earned eight each.
Each year there are just as many snubs as there are surprises, and this year is no different. For instance, we were astonished that Challengers — one of Mashable’s favorite movies of 2024 — came up totally empty with zero nominations. Other hopefuls like Babygirl and Queer also came up empty.
See a full list of the 2025 Oscar nominations below in the FAQ section of this story.
How can I watch the Oscar nominees for Best Picture?
Want to get up to date on the best films of the year (at least by the Academy’s standards) ahead of the ceremony? As usual, you’re going to need a lot of streaming services. Dune: Part Two and Emilia Pérez are both streaming on Netflix. Conclave is streaming on Peacock, Nickel Boys is coming soon to MGM+, and The Substance is on Mubi. Anora and Wicked are only available to rent or purchase on digital, while A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, and I’m Still Here are still in theaters.
Learn more in our guide of the best ways to watch all 10.
How to watch the Oscars live without cable in 2025
For those with cable or over-the-air TV, you can tune your TV to your local ABC station or watch online via ABC.com or the ABC app by logging in through your pay TV service provider. No cable access? No worries; This year, the awards will simultaneously stream on Hulu for subscribers. This is the first time the Oscars will be available to stream live.
You also have the option of signing up for a live TV streaming service to catch the Oscars live. These services essentially act as cable alternatives, allowing you live access to a well-rounded channel selection via your internet connection (rather than a cable connection). They’re contract-free and often offer trials to test them out. That means you could very well watch the Oscars live for free, then cancel before being charged. But we’ll leave the nitty gritty details up to you. Here are the best options (and deals) to watch.
Hulu streaming deals
Hulu is one of the most generous (if not the most generous) streamers in that it offers new and eligible returning subscribers a free 30-day trial. That means 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 rounded up a few ways to save some money on your subscription.
Best Hulu deal for most people: Save 16% on a Hulu (with ads) annual subscription
The best way to cut the cost of a Hulu subscription is to sign up for an annual plan with ads. You’ll have to endure a few interruptions in your content and pay upfront, but it’ll save you 16% or just shy of $20 in the course of a year. A yearly subscription costs $99.99 (or $8.33 broken down monthly), while a $9.99 monthly plan would add up to $119.88 in a year.
Best bundle deal: Get Hulu and Disney+ for 45% off
Bundling services is the best way to save money on streaming in 2025. The Disney Duo Basic bundle, which gets you both Disney+ and Hulu (with ads), is only $10.99 per month. That’s only $1 more than paying for Disney+ alone or a savings of 45% overall. Sports fans can also throw ESPN+ into the mix for just $16.99 per month total — a savings of 47% on all three.
Best for students: Save 80% with Hulu Student
Students can sign up for Hulu for only $1.99 per month and stream the Academy Awards live. That’s 80% off the usual cost of a Hulu with ads plan. The only requirement is that you can verify your college email address using SheerID.
Best for T-Mobile users: Hulu (with ads) included for Go5G Next customers
Aside from a 30-day free trial, the only other way to get Hulu for free in 2025 is by switching your phone plan to T-Mobile’s Go5G Next plan. Customers on this plan can enjoy Hulu with ads for free, as well as Netflix and Apple TV+.
Mashable Deals
Already on the Go5G Next plan? Just head on over to the T-Mobile promo page and choose “redeem now” to claim the offer. You’ll need to enter your T-Mobile account details in order to sign up for Hulu.
Live TV streaming deals
If you prefer a cable alternative, which will give you access to your local ABC station as well as hundreds of other live channels, there are a few live TV streaming services we recommend. And many of them offer free trials and introductory pricing. Here are a couple options to choose from.
Best introductory offer: YouTube TV
YouTube TV’s base plan includes over 100 live channels, including your local ABC network. You’ll also get unlimited DVR space, three simultaneous streams, and up to six individual accounts with personalized recommendations. For a limited time, you can get a free 21-day trial to test the waters. Then, your first six months will cost just $69.99 per month instead of the usual $82.99 per month.
Most affordable overall: Sling TV (only for select areas)
Sling’s a la carte setup and affordable pricing make it a huge competitor in the live TV streaming market. You can pick your package and channels depending on what you actually want to watch. In order to watch the Oscars, you’ll need access to ABC, which is included in Sling’s Blue base package. Unfortunately, since ABC is a local network, it’s only available in some local markets. Check to see if your local market includes ABC before you pull the trigger — Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, and more are included. Typically, Sling’s base package costs $45.99 per month, but with the current introductory offer, you’ll pay just $23 for your first month.
Honorable mention: FuboTV
FuboTV offers seven-day trials to newbies, giving you the ability to watch the Oscars on your local ABC station for free. You’ll get access to over 200 other networks, as well as unlimited cloud DVR, and up to 10 different screens.
