Getty The five recipients of the 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors pose for a group photo following a dinner hosted by United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in their honor at the US Department of State on December 2, 2017 in Washington, D.C. From left to right back row: LL Cool J and Lionel Richie Front row, left to right: Carmen de Lavallade, Norman Lear and Gloria Estefan. The 2017 honorees are: American dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade; Cuban American singer-songwriter and actress Gloria Estefan; American hip hop artist and entertainment icon LL COOL J; American television writer and producer Norman Lear; and American musician and record producer Lionel Richie.
From 9 – 11 p.m. ET/PT tonight on the CBS network, airs the 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. The Kennedy Center Honors features entertainers receiving recognition for their accomplishments and life work. This year’s honorees are choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, LL Cool J, TV writer and producer Norman Lear, Gloria Estefan and Lionel Richie. And, with such bigwigs as this year’s honorees, the performer lineup is full of stars as well. Meryl Streep is one of the A-listers who is giving a spoken tribute. Chaka Khan and Becky G are just two of the singing performers for the night. And, the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, will deliver the night’s opening marks. The event is not live, as it was previously held on December 3, 2017. Usually, the current President and First Lady attend the event, but Trump said over the summer that he would not be attending. According to CNN, this is the first time that a sitting president has not attended the Kennedy Center Honors in over two decades. Trump’s reason for staying away was so that attendees could enjoy the event without “political distraction.”
Honorees including 95-year-old Norman Lear and dancer de Lavallade both threatened to boycott the Kennedy Center Honors if Trump were to attend, according to The Boston Globe. Honoree Gloria Estefan also said, “I’m thankful he chose not to come. All it does is overshadow the accomplishments of people who spent a lifetime trying to do something.” If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, but you want to watch tonight’s 2017 Kennedy Center Honors, you can watch CBS online, on your phone or on another streaming device like an Amazon Fire TV or Roku via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services. They cost a monthly fee but all come with a free trial, so you can watch tonight’s show at no cost if you’re in a select market:
CBS All Access: This service lets you watch a live stream of your local CBS channel (most markets included), as well as all of CBS’ on-demand library, for $5.99 per month. It comes with a free 7-day trial, and you can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the CBS app
FuboTV: CBS (live in at least 20 markets) is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package, which is $19.99 per month for the first two months and $39.99 per month after that. It comes with a free 7-day trial, and you can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app
You can sign up for a free trial via the above links, or you can read on for a more thorough how-to guide to streaming tonight’s show live online, with a mobile app, or through your set-top box or other connected device. In all cases, the stream is available for U.S. users only.
Watch Live Online on Desktop or Laptop
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. If it’s time to watch the show, select “Watch Now” on the next screen and start watching. You may be prompted to confirm your location.
3. If you want to watch later, go back to CBS.com and select “Live TV” at the top of the screen. If you’re still logged in to your account, your stream will start right away. If not, Sign In with the email and password you used to create your account. Start watching.
Watch Live on Smartphone or Tablet
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. Download the CBS App on your Apple, Android or Windows phone or tablet.
- Find the app for iPhone and iPad here.
- Find the app for Android here.
- Find the app for Windows phone here.
3. Launch the app, go to the menu, select “Live TV,” and sign in with your CBS All Access account. Select “Check Availability,” and you’ll be prompted to allow the app to check your location. Accept, and start watching.
Watch Live on Apple TV
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. Launch the CBS All Access channel on your Apple TV.
(The CBS Access channel automatically loads during software updates. If you don’t see the channel you can update the software on your Apple TV by going to Settings > General > Software Updates > Update Software.)
3. On the welcome screen, select “CBS All Access Subscriber Sign In.” Follow instructions to activate. Start watching.
Watch Live on Roku
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. Add the CBS All Access channel to your Roku using your Roku remote. Go to the home screen (select “Home”). Select “Streaming Channels” from the menu and navigate to the Roku Channel Store. Find the “Movies & TV” category and select “CBS All Access.” Get to the CBS All Access screen and select “Add channel.”
3. Launch the channel.
4. On the welcome screen, select “Sign In” and follow instructions to activate.
Watch Live on Android TV
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. Add the All Access app on your Android TV:
- a. Go to the home screen by pressing the “home” button on your Android TV remote
- b. Go to the “Apps” row on the home screen
- c. Select the “Google Play Store” app
- d. Select the “Search” icon
- e. Search for “CBS All Access”
- f. Select the “CBS All Access” app
- g. Select “Install”
3. Launch the app.
4. Using the remote, select “Settings” and then “Sign in / Sign Up.” This will bring up a website and a code. Using a computer or mobile device, go to cbs.com/androidtv and enter that code. Following the ensuing prompt, log in to All Access with your account’s email and password. Once logged in here, you’ll be logged in on your Android TV.
Watch Live on Chromecast
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. Use the following instructions depending on whether you are casting from a computer, iOS device or Android device.
iOS (Apple) or Android Phone or Tablet:
- a. Download the latest CBS app on your phone or tablet.
- b. Connect your phone or tablet to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast.
- c. Open the CBS app on your phone or tablet, touch the cast button (it looks like this), and start streaming.
- a. Install Chrome browser on your computer
- b. Open Chrome, and install the Google Cast extension
- c. Connect your computer to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast
- d. Go to CBS.com, select the cast button (it looks like this), and start streaming.
Watch Live on Fire TV
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. Add the All Access app to your Fire TV with the following instructions:
- a. Turn on the device
- b. From the device’s main menu, select “Search”
- c. Search for “CBS”
- d. Select “CBS All Access” from Apps & Games in search results
- e. Download the app
- f. From the device’s main menu, select “Apps”
- g. Select “CBS All Access”
3. Once the app is launched, sign in to your All Access account with the following instructions:
- a. Use the remote to select “Settings” and then “Sign In / Sign Up”. You will be presented with a website and a code.
- b. Using a web browser on a computer or mobile device, go to cbs.com/firetv and enter that code.
- c. When prompted, log in to your All Access account using your email and password. When you’re logged in on the website, you’ll be logged in on your Fire TV.
Watch Live on Xbox 360
1. Go here to start your free trial of CBS All Access and set up your account.
2. Add the app to your Xbox 360 as follows:
- a. Select “Apps” on the homepage
- b. Select “Search Apps”
- c. Search for “CBS All Access”
- d. Select “CBS All Access”
- e. Select “Download”
3. Launch the app and follow these instructions:
- a. Use the remote to select “Settings” and then “Sign In / Sign Up”. You will be presented with a website and a code.
- b. Using a web browser on a computer or mobile device, go to CBS.com/xbox360 and enter that code.
- c. When prompted, log in to your All Access account with your email and password. When you have logged in on the website, you’ll be logged in on your Xbox 360.
The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors also coincide with John F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday. And, for his daughter Caroline’s opening remarks tonight, she welcomed the audience by paying tribute to her father with these words, “Now it’s our turn to ask the question: what can we do for our country. This is what artists ask every day. They do it with courage, dedication, judgement, and integrity.” Tune in tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT via CBS All-Access to watch the show online.