How to stream the first presidential debate
The first presidential debate airs Tuesday night, pitting Donald Trump against the Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The contenders will discuss COVID-19, race and violence, the Supreme Court, and other topics.
Many broadcast and cable TV stations will show the 90-minute, commercial-free debate live from Cleveland with Fox News' Chris Wallace hosting.
But cord-cutters do have some options. Here's how to watch the debate on your computer, tablet, streaming stick, smart TV, or smartphone starting at 9 p.m. ET.
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Live TV services
The debates will be on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, and MSNBC. These (paid) services in the U.S. will have these channels available:
Sling TV: CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News on Sling Blue. Bloomberg, Newsy, and Cheddar on Sling Orange (you can watch ABC News Live on the free tier or add the News Extra combo to either package for HLN and BBC World News, or Fox Business and CNBC)
fuboTV: Fox News, CNBC, MSNBC, Cheddar News, Newsy, and Univision
Hulu + Live TV: ABC News Live, CBS, Cheddar Business, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Fox Business, and Telemundo
YouTube TV: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Cheddar, Fox News, Fox Business, Newsy, and Telemundo
Social media
Twitter: You'll be able to watch the #Debates2020 live directly on Twitter. Tweeting while viewing is optional.
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Facebook: PBS Newshour and ABC News have livestreams on Facebook.
Twitch: There will be viewing parties on different streams, like this one from Discourse. Donald Trump's feed will also show the debate.
Streaming platforms
Roku Channel on Roku devices offers streams from ABC News, Newsmax, Yahoo!, and USA Today. Google Chromecast is connected to the YouTube app along with other news apps. Amazon's Fire TV and Stick, Apple TV, and Xbox and PlayStation consoles will all have access to apps and news channels that will be showing the debates.
YouTube and news sites
C-SPAN's YouTube channel is the go-to for cut-and-dry debate viewing. Many other news channels like NBC News, Yahoo Finance, and Fox Business (along with The Washington Post, PBS Newshour, ABC News, CBS News, and Telemundo in Spanish) will also be streaming on their respective YouTube channels. Searching for "presidential debate 2020" on YouTube with the "Live" filter should bring up plenty of results.
For live analysis and commentary alongside a livestream of the debate, head to the The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC, and Washington Post websites.
Apps — iOS and Android
The Logically app will stream the debates alongside a scrolling timeline of fact-checks in real-time.
Most news outlets will have a streaming option through their Android and iOS apps, but to access live content for some, you'll need to sign in with your cable provider:
Univision
ABC News
CBS News
CNN
Fox News
NBC News/Peacock
PBS Video
Reuters TV
Topics Politics
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
