How to watch Oscars online: live stream 2021 Academy Awards from everywhere

By Kevin Lynch
published

The 93rd Academy Awards is here

Live stream 2021 Oscars
(Image credit: Matt Petit - Handout/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images)
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It's Hollywood's biggest night of the year, and despite the pandemic, the 93rd Academy Awards will still be pulling out all the stops, bringing back the red carpet and keeping the Zoom calls to a minimum. Find out how to watch the Oscars 2021 online and watch a 93rd Academy Awards live stream no matter where in the world you are.

Taking place a couple of months later than its regular February slot, this year's event will take place predominantly outside across two sites - Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and the Oscars' familiar home of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. British stars are meanwhile rumoured to be getting their own London broadcast hub, at the BFI Southbank in London.

Despite cinemas being largely closed around the world, and a boat load of films being either delayed or stuck in limbo thanks to the pandemic, this year's list of nominees nevertheless throws up a strong list of movies and performances.

Watch the 2021 Oscars: at a glance

This year's ceremony takes place on Sunday, April 25 and is due to start at 5pm PT local time in Hollywood.

That makes it a 8pm ET start on the east coast of America and a 1am BST and 10am AEST Monday morning start in the UK and Australia.

This year's favorites in the running to win the coveted Best Picture award are the likes of Mank, Nomadland, Sound of Metal, and Promising Young Woman.

Meanwhile, nominees for Best Actor in a leading role include Steven Yeun (Minari), Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Gary Oldman (Mank), the late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Riz Ahmed for his role in Sound of Metal.

Stars up for Best Actress include Frances McDormand (Nomadland), Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), Andra Day (The United States V. Billie Holiday),and Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman).

While, like last year, this year's event will be host-less, there's nevertheless a cavalcade of A-List talent confirmed to present awards, with Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Zendaya and Regina King all confirmed to be dishing out the iconic golden statuettes.

Make sure you know how to watch the Oscars 2021 online where you are with our guide to getting an Academy Awards live stream from anywhere around the globe.

How to watch the Oscars 2021 live stream in the USA

ABC

ABC
ABC will once again be the network delivering all the Hollywood glitz and glamour to US TV viewers this year.

As long as ABC is one of the television channels you can get, then you're all set. Alternatively, you can get a Oscars 2021 live stream on abc.com by logging in with your cable provider. For cable cutters, you can sign up to FuboTV or AT&T TV Now to get access to ABC content. FuboTV is your most affordable option at $64.99 with the Starter Plan, with new customers eligible for a 7-day free trial. The latter comes in at $69.99 a month.

Going to be out of the country? Why not make the use of a VPN to watch BBC America as if you were right at home?

How to watch an Oscars 2021 live stream in the UK

Sky Cinema Oscars

Sky Cinema Oscars 
Live coverage of the 93rd Academy Awards in the UK is exclusive to Sky's dedicated Sky Cinema Oscars channel. 

The channel comes as a part of the Sky Cinema package, which you can add to your Sky package for £11 a month.

Alternatively, you can get Now's Cinema Pass for £11.99 a month and get a 7-day free trial if you're a new customer, allowing you to live stream the 2021 Oscars completely for free.

Coverage starts at 12.30m BST on Monday, April 26.

How to watch the Oscars 2021 live stream in Canada

CTV

CTV
The great news for Canadian movie fans is that free-to-air CTV will be showing the 93rd Academy Awards live on television. However, if you won't be near a TV when it all kicks off, you can still watch the awards show on the network’s website though you will have to select your TV service provider and sign in with your CTV account. 

The Oscars on CTV is set to begin at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.

How to watch an Oscars 2021 live stream in Australia

Channel 7

Channel 7
It's a similar story for film fans Down Under. Free-to-air Channel 7  will be showing this year's Academy Awards live in Australia. So for those with access to the channel it's as easy as switching on the TV or using the mobile 7Plus app to watch all the action. 

Handily, it's also on at a reasonable 10am AEST on Monday, April 26, meaning you'll be able to see the awards unfold sneakily while fielding Zoom calls.

Outside Australia today? Use a VPN if you're away from home and still want to catch that Oscars coverage.

How to watch a Oscars 2021 live stream from anywhere

ExpressVPN |  Try 100% risk free for 30 days

ExpressVPN | Try 100% risk free for 30 days
If you're away from home for the Oscars 2021, a VPN is your best option for tuning in to your local live stream. 

These handy systems are 'Virtual Private Networks', and enable you to appear online as if you are somewhere else entirely. This method gives you a way to get around any geographical restrictions, so you can access all of your favorite streaming services just as if you were at home. We'd argue that ExpressVPN is the best VPN to go with, and is perfect to watch the Oscars 2021 online.

There are three simple steps to follow:

1: Get a VPN installed. There are plenty of options, but we'd point you in the direction of ExpressVPN. There's even an offer on right now where you can get an additional three months FREE on a 12-month package and save 49%. Happily, ExpressVPN is also compatible with pretty much every device you can think of too.

2: Connect to an appropriate server. Select a server located back in your home country and you'll be in and away. And if there's any sniff of an issue, Express's handy 24/7 live chat customer support can come to your rescue.

3: Head over to the service you want. Here you can shop as normal and once you set your location, visit the service you're interested in and sign up as normal or log in, and start watching. And if you don't get along with it, you can always cancel without issue within 30 days and get a full refund. Easy!

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(Image credit: Future)
Kevin Lynch
Kevin Lynch

Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.