- Watch the 2026 Academy Awards (the Oscars) on March 16 at 7 PM EST / 4 PM PDT.
- International fans can watch a free live stream of the event on Australian streaming service 7Plus.
It’s time for the Oscars! Which stars will take home the golden statue in 2026?
Fans with a cable subscription will be able to stream the Oscars live on ABC. However, you can also watch the Oscars for free on Australian service 7Plus. All you need is an Australian IP address.
Don’t live in Australia? Use a VPN to get an Australian IP! It’s really easy. Just follow the steps below:
- Sign up with NordVPN. This VPN service has servers in Australia that will let you watch the Academy Awards for free.
- Download the NordVPN app on your device.
- Connect to a server in Australia to unblock 7Plus.
- On March 10, head over to 7Plus to watch the 2026 Oscar ceremony!
Since NordVPN has a 30-day money back guarantee, you can watch the award ceremony completely for free. Just request a refund once you’ve streamed the event.
There are also some paid streaming services that will show this year’s Oscars. Keep reading to see all your options!
On March 10, we find out who will take home the most prestigious award in the entertainment industry. It’s time for the 2026 Oscars!
You can watch the entire ceremony on ABC. However, if you don’t have a cable login, you’ll have to find a different way. Lucky for you, we found a free stream to watch the Academy Awards.
Australian streaming platform 7Plus will have the show available for free. It starts at 7 PM EST / 4 PM PDT. As long as you’ve got an Australian IP address, you’re all set.
Don’t live in Australia? With NordVPN, you can unblock 7Plus from anywhere. Right now, NordVPN is available at a 75% discount. What’s even better — thanks to its 30-day money back guarantee, you can watch the Oscars completely for free!
Just cancel your NordVPN account after the ceremony is over, and you’ll receive a full refund.
Where to Watch the Oscars Online
There are a few different streaming services that will live stream the Oscars on March 10. The official broadcaster of the 96th Academy Awards is ABC.
You can tune in to the ceremony in the ABC app, but you need a cable login to get access. An alternative option is to watch ABC through a paid subscription service:
- Hulu + Live TV (no free trial): Subscriptions for Hulu start at $76.99/month, but you’ll get access to ABC‘s official channel, as well as lots of other cable channels.
- Sling TV (seven-day free trial): Do you have a Sling TV subscription? You’ll find ABC included! Plans start at $40.00/month.
- DirecTV (five-day free trial): ABC is also available through DirecTV. Subscription costs are $69.99/month.
- Fubo (seven-day free trial): You can watch the Oscars on ABC via Fubo. The cheapest plan is $74.99/month.
However, unless you want to spend a lot of money, we have a much better offer for you: with a VPN, you can access the Australian free streaming service 7Plus and watch the Oscars without paying a cent.
All you need is a VPN with great Australian servers: NordVPN.
NordVPN will ask you to submit payment details when signing up. However, since you can cancel within 30 days, you can still watch the Academy Awards 2026 for free.
How to Watch the Oscars With a VPN: Step-by-Step
It’s easy enough to set up a VPN, unblock 7Plus, and create a free account. I tried it myself and was surprised at how quickly I had access!
Here’s how to stream the Oscars with a VPN:
- Sign up with NordVPN. This is a lightning-fast VPN with plenty of server locations in Australia.
- Download the NordVPN app for your preferred streaming device.
- Connect to a server in Australia. This is how you’ll get an Australian IP address to unblock 7Plus.
- Head over to 7Plus and watch the Oscars live and for free online on March 10!
Is NordVPN not what you’re looking for? There are plenty of great VPNs to securely stream events like the Oscars. To learn more, have a look at our complete guide to watch the Oscars from anywhere!
Oscar Nominations and Predictions (2026)
This year’s ceremony will be presented by Jimmy Kimmel at the Dolby Theatre. This is his fourth year presenting at the Oscars.
To no one’s surprise, “Oppenheimer“ has the most Oscar nominations: it has a shot at receiving 13 golden statues. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. have also received other awards for it already.
Followed closely is “Poor Things,” with 11 nominations. Have a look at the list below for the 2026 Oscar nominations in the biggest categories.
| Categories | Nominations |
|---|---|
| Best Picture | “American Fiction” “Anatomy of a Fall” “Barbie” “The Holdovers” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “Maestro” “Oppenheimer” “Past Lives” “Poor Things” “The Zone of Interest” |
| Best Actor | Bradley Cooper, “Maestro” Colman Domingo, “Rustin” Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers” Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction” |
| Best Actress | Annett Bening, “Nyad” Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall” Carey Mulligan, “Maestro” Emma Stone, “Poor Things” |
| Best Director | Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest” Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things” Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer” Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon” Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall” |
Are you ready? Grab your popcorn, switch on your NordVPN connection, and stream the Oscars on 7Plus!
