TV & Movies

How To Stream The 2020 Emmys So You Can Watch The Quarantine Chaos Play Out Live

Instead of pre-taping segments, the show sent cameras to 130 nominees across the world. What could go wrong?

The 2020 Emmys figurine
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

"The show must go on" is taking on a whole new meaning at the 2020 Emmys, which will look a whole lot different amid the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of pre-taping segments for the remotely filmed awards show, producers opted to ship 130 cameras to nominees, who are spread out across 20 cities and 10 countries, according to CNBC. “It is sort of a logistic nightmare,” producer Ian Stewart said during a virtual round table, per the outlet. “It’s gonna be great. How could it possibly go wrong?”

If you want to stream the 2020 Emmys and watch the chaos play out in real time, you have a couple options. If you have a cable login, you can stream the show on ABC.com using your provider credentials. Otherwise, you're going to have to take advantage of some free trial offers or else pony up some cash. YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Fubo TV, and AT&T TV Now all offer regional coverage of ABC. You're most likely included, but you should double check that ABC is available in your area before signing up for any service. Not all services are available on all devices, either, so you'll also want to check your compatibility.

After doing that, you'll need to determine if you're eligible for a free trial, since you have to be a first-time user to qualify. AT&T, Hulu, and Fubo all charge $55/month and YouTube charges $65/month, so getting those free trials is critical. Each service offers a seven-day free trial, and you'll need to enter your credit card information when you sign up. If you cancel before your trial expires, you won't be charged anything. But if you forget to cancel, then you're on the hook for the full month. If you'd prefer not to go that route, you can also look into LoCast. Their service, which is only available in a handful of major markets, charges just a $5/month "donation." It's technically free to use, but if you don't chip in $5 it's basically unusable because every minute or so it will show you an ad asking for a donation and then boot you back to the main menu.

There's technically no red carpet this year, but Entertainment Weekly and People are co-hosting their own pre-show coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET, which you can stream at EW.com, People.com, or on the Facebook and Twitter pages of both magazines. E! is also hosting a pre-Emmys show starting at 4:30 p.m. ET, which will stream on eonline.com, the E! News Twitter account, and the E! News app. The official show kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 20.