(Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC)
Tonight is the 2016 Christmas In Rockefeller Center special on NBC at 7 p.m. ET and this year, performances will be given by a wide range of stars from Tony Bennett to Tori Kelly. For those who would like to watch the show online and cannot get to a television, below are instructions how to live-stream the show on the web or with an app on your mobile or streaming device. All of the below options are available for U.S. users only.
If You Don’t Have a Cable Login (Select Markets)
In the following select markets, NBC’s live broadcast is available through Sling TV, an online streaming service that provides select channels for a monthly fee. Sling’s Blue package, which includes NBC, costs $25 a month but offers a free 7-day trial.
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Washington, D.C.
- Miami/Fort Lauderdale
- San Diego
- Hartford/New Haven
If you’re viewing in one of the markets above, you can use the instructions below to stream the show.
On the Web:
1. Go here to sign up for Sling TV. You’ll need to enter your credit card information, but if you cancel your subscription before the trial period ends you won’t be charged.
2. When you sign up, select the Blue package, which is listed immediately to the right of the Orange package on the Sling TV website. The Blue package costs $25 per month but offers a free 7-day trial.
3. Download the Sling desktop app, and navigate over to NBC to watch the show.
With an App:
If you sign up for the free Sling trial, you can watch the show on the Sling app, which you can download for free in the App store or the Google Play store. There’s also a Sling app for Roku, Chromecast, Nexus player, ZTE and XBox One. Go here for a full list of compatible devices.
Follow these steps:
1. Go here to sign up for Sling. You’ll need to enter your credit card information, but if you cancel your subscription before the trial period ends you won’t be charged.
2. When you sign up, select the Blue package, which is listed immediately to the right of the Orange package on the Sling TV website. The Blue package costs $25 per month but offers a free 7-day trial.
3. Download the Sling app for your device, and navigate over to NBC to watch the show.
If You Have a Cable Login
If you have access to a cable or satellite subscription that includes NBC, you can stream NBC television live on the network’s website or, in select markets, with the NBC app.
On the Web:
Click here for the NBC stream. If it’s your first time streaming at nbc.com/live, you’ll get a free 45-minute preview before you’re forced to “verify” using a cable login to continue watching. When you click “Verify Now,” you’ll be prompted to click on the tile of your pay-tv provider (Infinity, Fios, DirectTV, etc.) and be directed to a sign-in page, where you must enter a valid user ID and password. You must have access to a cable or satellite subscription that includes NBC programming.
If you have trouble logging in, NBC has an “FAQ” contact form here, where you can submit a “description of your issue.”
With an App (Select Markets)
In several major markets, you can access NBC live TV via the NBC app, which is available to download in the App Store and Google Play. (NBC also has apps for Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Xbox One.)
Again, you’ll need login info for pay-tv subscription that includes NBC programming. The live broadcast of your local NBC affiliate is available only in the following markets, where the station is owned by NBC: New York (WNBC), Los Angeles (KNBC), San Diego (KNSD), San Francisco / Bay Area (KNTV), Connecticut (WVIT), Miami (WTVJ), Chicago (WMAQ-TV), Philadelphia (WCAU), Washington D.C. (WRC-TV) and Dallas (KXAS-TV).
After launching the app, open the menu and click on the “LIVE” tile in the top left portion of the screen. You’ll have to “enable location services” (find the NBC app under your phone’s Settings, click on it and then click on Location) so the app can see where you are and whether your local NBC station is eligible for streaming.
If it’s your first time using the app, you’ll get a free 45-minute preview before you’re forced to “verify” using a cable login to continue watching. When you click “Verify Now,” you’ll be prompted to click on the tile of your pay-tv provider (Infinity, Fios, DirectTV, etc.) and be directed to a sign-in page, where you must enter a valid user ID and password.