NBC
“The Voice” is back for its 23nd season, which will be Blake Shelton’s last. It premieres on Monday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the show on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both include NBC live in the most markets and come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch “The Voice” streaming live online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of NBC (live in most markets) and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial right here:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch “The Voice” live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch most new shows on-demand within three days (and sometimes longer) of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” NBC (live in most markets) is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch “The Voice” live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Stream also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Peacock TV
If you’ve used up all your free trials for other streaming services, the cheapest way to watch the show is through Peacock Premium, which will have new episodes available the next day. It’s normally $4.99 per month but there’s currently a limited-time offer of $1.99 per month for your first 12 months:
Once signed up for Peacock, you can watch “The Voice” on the Peacock app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via the Peacock TV website.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of NBC (live in select markets) and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t come with a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with NBC and other live channels, plus you can get your first month half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch “The Voice” live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
‘The Voice’ Season 23 Preview
The only original “Voice” coach left is leaving. Blake Shelton has said that season 23 of the singing competition series will be his last. When he announced his retirement on Instagram, he said in a statement:
I’ve been wrestling with this for awhile and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from “The Voice” after next season.
This show has changed my life in every way for the better, and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns, and I want to thank everyone at “The Voice” from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best. It takes a lot of work, passion, and adult beverages (Ha!) to pull off a live show twice a week.
I’ve made lifelong bonds with Carson and every single one my fellow coaches over the years, including my wife, Gwen Stefani! I have to give a huge shoutout to the singers – the ‘Voices’ who come on this stage season after season and amaze us with their talent and a special thanks to those who chose me to be their coach.
Lastly, it’s about y’all, the fans, who watch and support these artists, us coaches and everyone at The Voice chasing their dreams. It wouldn’t happen without you!
Shelton is the show’s winningest coach. Someone from his team has won nine times.
Joining Shelton and returning coach Kelly Clarkson on the coaches’ panel this year are first-year coaches Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper.
The format also has a couple of changes this year. The NBC press release spells out the format for season 23:
The show’s innovative format features five stages of competition: Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockouts, Playoffs and Live Performance Shows.
During the Blind Auditions, the decisions from the coaches are based solely on voice and not looks. The coaches hear the artists perform but they don’t get to see them, thanks to rotating chairs. If a coach is impressed by the artist’s voice, they push a button to select the artist for their team. At this point, the coach’s chair will swivel so that they can face the artist they selected. If more than one coach pushes the button, the power then shifts to the artists to choose which coach they want to work with. If no one pushes their button, the artist is eliminated from the competition. The artists’ family and friends watch their Blind Auditions from side stage with host Carson Daly, cheering on their loved ones and hoping for a coveted chair turn.
Also returning this season is the block, which adds another layer of coach competition during the Blind Auditions. The coach chairs each have an extra set of buttons with the other three coaches’ names on them, which prevents a coach from adding a new artist to his or her team. The coaches can only use their block buttons on one artist for the entire first round of the competition. The blocked coach only discovers they are blocked if they press their button, and though their chair will still turn, their lane lights up with “BLOCKED.” If the coach doesn’t press their button, the block is still available for another audition.
Once the teams are set, the battle is on. The coaches dedicate themselves to developing their team of artists, giving them advice and sharing the secrets of their success. During the Battle Rounds, the coaches will pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together. The artists are vying for their coach’s confidence and decision to take them to the next round. After each vocal battle, the coach must choose which of his or her artists will advance to the next round of competition.
This season during Battles, the all-new Playoff Pass is at stake. The Playoff Pass will allow both artists in a battle to advance while the Playoff Pass winner gets a huge advantage by skipping the Knockout Rounds and advancing straight to Playoffs, taking them one step closer to Lives. Each coach will have one Playoff Pass to use as well as one steal in the Battles. With the steals in play, a losing artist is available for the other coaches to save and bring onto their own team. Artists who won their battle or were stolen by another coach will advance to the Knockouts, while the four artists with a Playoff Pass will advance straight to Playoffs.
In the Knockouts, the artists will be paired against another teammate, but this time they will perform individually while their direct competitors watch and wait. To prepare for this high-pressure competition, the coaches enlist legendary country music icon Reba McEntire as the Mega Mentor to advise all of the artists competing in the Knockouts. Having served as Battle Advisor to Team Blake during the show’s inaugural season, it’s most fitting Reba returns as Blake coaches his final group of artists and bids farewell to the competition. The coaches will choose the winner of each Knockout, and the artist not selected will be available to be stolen by another coach. The pressure is on as each coach will only have one steal in the Knockouts.
The Playoffs are back, further bolstering the competition following the Knockouts. The 20 remaining artists hold nothing back and tough decisions are made when each coach can only advance two artists to the live semi-finals. The stakes are even higher for the artists because there are no steals available.
Once the Live Performance Shows begin, the top artists will compete against each other during live broadcasts. This time the television audience will vote to save their favorite artist. The live semi-finals will be more dramatic than ever because the Top 8 artists will all perform live for a real-time vote, and results will be revealed at the end of that show. After the real-time votes are counted that night, the five artists with the most votes will be revealed and advance to the following week’s finale. Those with the lowest number of votes will be sent home. In the end, one artist will be named “The Voice” and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract.
“The Voice” airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on NBC.