The Golden Globes, the Grammys, and the Actor Awards (ex-SAG Awards) were nice appetizers, but we know they all lead up to: The Oscars, the main event of awards season and the one time of the year that Hollywood celebrates a shiny bald guy besides Stanley Tucci.
The 2026 Academy Awards show will be broadcast live on ABC and its streaming counterpart Hulu on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET. But for many, the real show will happen outside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, hours before host Conan O’Brien cracks his first “Marty Supreme” joke, on the hallowed red carpet. Let us regale you with the deets on how to catch the celebs and looks of the 2026 Oscars.
How to watch the 2026 Oscars red carpet on ABC
The Oscars may be leaving longtime home ABC for YouTube (yes, YouTube) in 2029, but you can still watch the show the way our ancestors have for decades on its broadcast home of your local ABC network affiliate. The same goes for “The Oscars Red Carpet Show,” a traditionally brief special—a mere 30 minutes—covering the arrivals of the stars and their set-to-stun outfits.
Cable, satellite, and live TV streaming services—like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and fuboTV—carry local ABC channels in most areas, and you can also log into ABC.com or the ABC streaming app using your live TV service provider login to watch the Oscars and the “Red Carpet Show.”
How to watch the 2026 Oscars red carpet on Hulu
For Hulu + Live TV subscribers, The Oscars and the “Red Carpet Show” have always been available on the ABC channel—but the awards show, and the preshow, will also stream on standard Hulu. No ABC, no problem.
How to watch the 2026 Oscars red carpet on E!
ABC’s “Red Carpet Show” is always far too short, which is where cable channel E! Comes in handy. The entertainment-centric network pretty much exists to cover awards preshows, and E! commits two hours or more to the red carpet, typically beginning around 4 p.m. ET.
E!, and its “Live From the Red Carpet” pre-show, can be found on most cable, satellite, and live TV streaming services, including YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Stream on DIRECTV. If your live TV streamer is fuboTV, though, you’re out of luck: E!, and other NBCUniversal networks like Bravo and USA, were dropped by fuboTV in November 2025.
How to watch the 2026 Oscars red carpet for free
One of the easiest ways to watch ABC’s coverage of the Oscars and the red carpet is with a digital over-the-air antenna set to pick up your local ABC channel. Long before streaming, all you needed to watch TV was “rabbit ears,” and it still works.
There are no free trials with cable or satellite TV, but some live TV streaming services do let you try out their wares at no cost for a limited time (like, say, long enough to watch the Oscars and the red carpet).
How to watch the 2026 Oscars red carpet FAQ
Is the 2026 Oscars red carpet on ABC?
Until 2029, you can still watch the Oscars and the red-carpet pre-show on their longtime broadcast home, ABC. From 2029 until 2033, the Academy Awards show will stream live on YouTube. You can also watch extended red-carpet coverage on the basic cable channel E!.
Where can I watch the Oscar-nominated movies of 2026?
Some of the movies up for the Best Picture Oscar in 2026—including "Bugonia," "F1," "Frankenstein," "One Battle After Another," "Sinners", and "Train Dreams"—are available to watch now on streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock, and Apple TV. As of this posting, "Marty Supreme," "Hamnet," "The Secret Agent," and "Sentimental Value" are only available on video-on-demand platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV to rent or buy. Our guide, "How to Watch Best Picture Nominees," can tell you more about watching these films and others 2026 Oscar nominees.
Who will host the Oscars in 2026?
Conan O’Brien, former talk show host and current podcaster, will return to host the Academy Awards show in 2026 after making his debut in the role in 2025.
