Getty Pictured: Jennifer Lopez attends the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 20, 2018 in New York City.
Tonight is the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, more commonly known as the VMAs and it airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT. This year’s show airs on multiple networks and, according to E! News, they include MTV, MTV2, VH1, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Logo TV, Paramount Network and TV Land. For those who do not have a cable subscription or do but don’t have any of these channels in their cable package, there are still multiple ways to watch the full awards show, in addition to the red carpet pre-show, which airs one hour prior to showtime.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of MTV on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming subscription services:
FuboTV
MTV, BET, CMT, Paramount, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and VH1 are some of the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle.
You can start a free 7-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the VMA’s on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch most shows up to three days after they air even if you forgot to record them.
Philo TV
MTV, BET, CMT, Paramount, Logo, TV Land, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and VH1 are included in Philo’s main 58-channel bundle, which is the cheapest among all streaming services if you plan on keeping it long-term.
You can start a free 7-day trial of Philo TV right here, and you can then watch the VMAs live on your computer via the Philo website, or on your phone (iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or or other supported device via the Philo app.
If you can’t watch live, Philo also allows you to DVR programs and watch them up to 30 days later. And even if you forget to DVR something, Philo also comes with a 72-hour rewind feature, which allows you to replay an event that has aired in the last three days.
Sling TV
BET is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package, while Comedy Central is included in both the “Sling Orange” and “Sling Blue” channel packages. MTV, Logo, Paramount, TV Land and CMT are included in the “Comedy Extra” add-on, which can be added to either “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue”. And VH1 is included in the “Lifestyle Extra” add-on, which can also be added to either “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue”.
You can start a free 7-day trial of Sling TV right here, and you can then watch the VMA’s live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
E! News has reported that, in addition to the above options, the VMAs show will be streaming on MTV Live.
Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift lead with the most nominations this year and Swift’s recent album release of “Lover” has been a huge hit. Unfortunately for Grande’s fans, she will not be performing, nor will she be in attendance, as reported by Page Six. As for Swift, she revealed during a Good Morning America appearance that she is delivering the opening performance at the VMAs this year. Some of the other performers include Missy Elliott, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, the Jonas Brothers, Queen Latifah, and Redman.
The Jonas Brothers have pre-taped their performance in Asbury Park, New Jersey, according to Page Six, while other performers will deliver their sets live on stage tonight.
Pop Culture has reported that Miley Cyrus has been added to the lineup of performers and that she will perform her song “Slide Away” for the first time.
When it comes to the emcee of the show, last year had no one hosting, but this year, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is taking on the challenge. Bruce Gillmer, the executive producer of the MTV VMAs, global head of music and talent at Viacom and co-brand head at MTV International, released the following statement about Maniscalco’s big gig, “We’re thrilled to have the incredibly talented Sebastian Maniscalco as this year’s VMA host. Sebastian is on FIRE right now and his comedic spin on relatable topics will make this year’s show truly unforgettable.”
For those watching the red carpet, it will air from 7 – 8 p.m. ET on the MTV network. The red carpet is set to be hosted by Nessa, Terrence J, and special correspondent Zara Larsson. Performances during the pre-show arrivals will be put on by Megan Thee Stallion, Ava Max, and CNCO.