Tonight is the first presidential debate, featuring Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton facing off one-on-one. The event will be broadcast live without commercials, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern. There are a handful of ways to watch live online for free, including several YouTube options embedded here. You can watch the NBC broadcast of the debate at the top of this post.
What follows is a full roundup of other options, including live streaming on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Roku, virtual reality, and more.
Major Cable Networks’ Live Streams for the Debates
The debate will be broadcast live on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, Fox, Fox News, MSNBC, and PBS NewsHour and Univision. You can watch NBC’s YouTube live stream at the top of this post. It will begin at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. PBS News Hour is also livestreaming on YouTube, and you can watch theirs below:
Fox will be livestreaming the debate on YouTube. The video can’t be embedded, but you can watch it at this link.
Telemundo is also offering a live stream that includes pre-debate analysis, special reports, and a simultaneous live Spanish translation of the debate. You can watch Telemundo’s coverage on Telemundo.com, their Facebook app, their mobile app, or on YouTube. The YouTube livestream isn’t up yet, but it will be available at this link.
Many of the other major news stations will live stream the debates online and through their mobile apps. The CBS livestream can be accessed in multiple ways. You can watch via CNNGo online. You can also watch through CBS’ All Access channel. You can get a one-week trial by going to their All Access Website here and clicking on “Try 1 Week Free.” You’ll have to create an account and you won’t be charged unless you forget to cancel your account before a week is up. The CBS All Access channel can be watched on Android, Chromecast. FireTV, iPad, Apple TV, iPhone, Windows 10, Roku, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
Additional YouTube Live Streams for the Debates
You can watch The Washington Post’s debate livestream above.
Bloomberg is also expected to broadcast the debate live on YouTube. We’ll add the video as soon as it’s available. In the meantime, you can look for it under their YouTube videos tab here.
The Young Turks is also expected to offer live stream election coverage on YouTube. We’ve got the stream below, but if it stops working for any reason, you can look for it under their YouTube livestream videos tab here.
How to Stream the Debates with Virtual Reality
The debate can also be watched in virtual reality format on NBC News’ Virtual Democracy Plaza, where they are hosting a debate watch party. You can join the party using the AltspaceVR app, which will work with HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, and Oculus Rift. Google Cardboard and other “generic” VR systems won’t work. There’s also a way to watch in “2D” via AltspaceVR’s website.
Facebook Debate Live Stream
Interested in watching the debates via Facebook Live Stream? ABC is partnering with Facebook to broadcast the presidential debates there, advertisement-free. ABC will also offer additional coverage on their Facebook page, including reporting from the host cities and commentary that includes answering viewers’ online questions. ABC’s Facebook Live coverage will begin earlier than some of the other live streams. Around 7 p.m. Eastern, two hours before the debates begin, Matthew Dowd and LZ Granderson will host Strait Talk on Facebook Live. ABC will also have periodic live streams from the host city and will cover watch parties from across the United States.
You can watch it all on ABC’s Facebook page here.
Twitter Debate Live Stream
Not to be left out, Twitter is partnering with Bloomberg to live stream the debates at debates.twitter.com. The livestream begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 30 minutes before the debates start. You’ll be able to watch the stream, along with livestream comments using the hashtag #Debates next to the stream.
How to Live Stream the Debate On Your TV
You have multiple options if you want to stream the debate on your TV with a cable or satellite subscription.
Stream the Debates on Roku
You can also stream the debates on Roku, if that’s your preference. Here are the links for Roku streaming:
- ABC News (free)
- Bloomberg TV (free)
- CBS News (free)
- CNNgo (requires a TV subscription, according to Roku)
- NewsON (free)
Stream the Debates with Sling TV
Sling TV users can stream the debate for free tonight. Sling TV Orange is free for the presidential debate as part of Sling TV’s 18 hour free preview of its Orange service. You don’t need a credit card or any form of payment for the free preview. All you need to provide is an email and password to give the service a try. Visit Sling’s link here to sign up for the free preview. Your acess will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern on Monday and end at 2 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday. Sling Orange includes CNN and Bloomberg Television, both of whom are broadcasting the debates.
Stream with Fire TV
If Amazon’s Fire TV is your preference, you can stream in several ways:
Fox News, YouTube, and CNNgo will also have Fire TV options.
Stream with Apple TV
You can stream on Apple TV using the Twitter livestream here. ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, CNNgo, and PBS will also have Apple TV streaming options.
Stream with Android TV
Stream CBS News on your Android TV using this link.
