Here’s how to find a presidential debate live stream, if you’re looking to watch the final presidential debate on Thursday.
- When: Thursday, Oct. 22, 9pm ET
- Where: Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Moderator: Kristen Welker, NBC News
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden met once so far in a debate this campaign season. The contentious Sept. 29 debate, moderated by Fox News Channel’s Chris Wallace, used a traditional debate format. Then, the planned town hall debate earlier this month was scrapped following Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis. That led to dueling town hall prime time events, with Biden on ABC and Trump on NBC.
Now, the candidates will face off again in a format similar to their first debate, moderated by NBC News’s Kristen Welker. Here’s how to stream the action.
What is the debate format on Thursday?
The candidates will have 90 minutes to make what is likely their last side-by-side pitch to the undecided voters that remain. During each candidate’s initial two-minute response, the opposing candidate’s mike will be muted. After that, though, there will be back-and-forth allowed between the candidates.
Welker has announced six topics to be covered, including:
- American families
- Climate change
- COVID-19
- Leadership
- National Security
- Race in America
Where can I find the presidential debate live stream?
The following channels will carry a presidential debate live stream, with many doing post-debate coverage. (Fox will not carry the debate, opting for its scheduled Thursday Night Football.)
- ABC (with 3 hours of coverage, starting at 8pm ET)
- C-SPAN (starting 3 1/2 hours of coverage at 9pm ET, replaying the debate at 12:30am ET, and featuring an hour of post-debate viewer calls, social media highlights, and debate highlights at 2am ET)—and will also carry Maine’s U.S. Senate debate at 8pm ET if you’re feeling like watching an “undercard”
- CBS (on from 9-11pm, with CBSN starting coverage at 5pm ET, pre-debate coverage at 8:30pm, and post-debate coverage at 11pm)
- CNN (will start seven hours of debate coverage at 8pm ET, followed by a replay of the debate at 3am ET)
- Fox News Channel (coverage starting at 9pm ET with the debate simulcasting on Fox News Radio, and streaming free on Foxnews.com and in the Fox News app)
- MSNBC (with coverage beginning at 8pm ET and running to 2am ET, with post-debate coverage then repeating until 5am ET)
- NBC (with coverage, including post-debate coverage, beginning at 8:30pm ET)
- PBS (NewsHour coverage will run 9-11pm ET)
How to watch the final presidential debate: Presidential debate live stream
The following streaming services will allow you to stream the Presidential debate live on Thursday.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a great way to stream live TV, as it comes with access to Hulu’s massive library of on-demand content. You’ll be able to choose from movies, shows, and Hulu’s original programming, and keep up with what’s new each month. Hulu plans even include a bundle option where you can access Disney+ and ESPN+ along with Hulu.
Hulu Live TV sets you up with local channels and has a broad spectrum of entertainment and sports channels to review, including the full suite of ESPN channels, Cartoon Network, FX, HGTV, and even deep cuts like National Geographic and Syfy. Between local channels and major cable news channels, you’ll have plenty of options for a Presidential debate live stream.
| Hulu Live TV | $69.99 |
| Hulu Live TV (no ads on Hulu content) | $75.99 |
FuboTV
FuboTV started as a streaming service geared toward sports fans, but it’s evolved into a broadly-appealing option with entertainment and news options alongside its robust sports choices. Depending on the package, you can access as many as 180+ FuboTV channels. If you’re looking to be entertained, Bravo, IFC, MTV, and VH1 are options even at Fubo’s most basic tier. The Fubo channel list still includes plenty of sports, including the Fubo Sports Network, which has original programming mixing sports and humor. The FuboTV cost starts at $54.99 a month, and with Disney Media favorites like ABC, ESPN, and the Disney Channel now on board, some who were on the fence about Fubo are giving it another look.
If you’re looking to stream the Presidential debate live, Fubo gives you lots of choices.
| Pro | $69.99 |
| Elite | $79.99 |
| Ultimate | $99.99 |
Sling TV
If you’re looking for a streamlined, cost-effective streaming package, check out Sling TV. It offers two basic cable packages, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each of which costs $30 per month. There’s also the third option of getting Sling Orange + Blue for just $45 per month. You’ll get more Sling TV channels by choosing Sling Blue, with its 40 channels including sports favorites like FS1 and NBCSN and cable mainstays like Food Network and Discovery Channel. But Sling Orange brings must-haves Disney Channel and ESPN as part of its package.
Though Sling Blue is a little more geared to news, any of the core Sling packages will get you Trump vs. Biden.
| Orange | $35 |
| Blue | $35 |
| Orange + Blue | $50 |
Vidgo
Vidgo offers a package for under $40 a month that pulls together more than 60 English-language channels into its National English Package. The core package of Vidgo channels include ABC and Fox. It also includes the ESPN family of channels (including ESPN Deportes), and it’s one of the few streaming services that carries BeIN Sports. But it’s like Fubo in that, even though it started out for streaming sports, it carries a lot more now.
You might be surprised to know that Vidgo’s an option to stream the final Presidential debate—and then you chat about it online via Vidgo’s Social TV platform.
| English Premium Package | $66.33/ 3 months |
| English Plus Package | $53/ 3 months |
| Spanish Mas Package | $25/ 3 months |
AT&T TV Now
If you’re already looking to AT&T for your wireless needs, you might consider AT&T TV Now to cover streaming for you. AT&T TV Now channels start with Plus and Max, which even include HBO. Then, AT&T plans expand from there, approaching cable selection and pricing with AT&T TV Now’s biggest packages. AT&T streaming also comes with Cloud DVR, letting you record up to 20 hours of TV per month.
Even at its Plus level, AT&T TV Now gives you plenty of options to watch the Presidential debate.
YouTube TV
The YouTube TV channel list includes local channels, sports options including ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, and NBA TV, and plenty to keep kids (and kids at heart) occupied, including Disney Channel and its companion channels, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network—all in one easy-to-access package. It even comes with a few Spanish-language channels like Telemundo and NBC Universo. YouTube add-ons include HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz. YouTube TV packages have some advantages over their competitors, including a generous DVR and multiple screens package. From one account, each user can create an individual profile to track favorite shows.
If you’re looking for a Presidential debate live stream, know that you can stream it on YouTube TV.
| 1 Month | $64.99 |
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