How to Watch the Academy Awards Online
Get Some Friends Together
First of course you have to get some friends together. Everyone knows that everything's better when you have some friends around. Jokes are funnier, joy is greater, and life in general is just better. In fact there's more and more evidence that not only does social connection feel good, but it's actually good for you. Not only good for you, but absolutely essential for your health. More and more studies are showing connections between loneliness and just about every disease and ailment humans can get. So get some friends together and bond over the glitz and the glamor.
Set up
Sure, you could just fly by the seat of your pants. But everyone knows that a little bit of prep when it comes to snacks goes a long way. Make up a list of everything you think you might want and make sure you’re stocked up. There are of course the classics. Things like chips, dips, nachos, and fine charcuterie and cheese have been staples at gatherings for decades now. If you're looking for healthier (but equally delicious) options you can go for things like hummus or veggie and fruit platters. There are also a plethora of tasty take out options available. After that, anything that needs to be charged or is needed for the show needs to be checked. Check your speakers, tv, internet connection, and anything else you think you'll need.
Clear your Schedule
The Academy awards are a big deal. It's the biggest night in show business after all. You don't want to be worried about little things like chores, or errands,or the kids school project on the night of. Take some time and figure out what needs to be done and what might come up before the show. Make a plan and get as much of it done as possible. Not only will it make your awards night more enjoyable, but it will make your life better overall. Getting things done will clear up your head and is one of the best ways to deal with anxiety. Often times you don't even realize how much something was bothering you till it's done. So go get that junk over with, even if it hurts.
Log In
ABC has the rights to broadcast the awards in the US. Fortunately they do it online as well as on TV. To watch them live online you'll need to go to the ABC website and follow the links to get to their viewing section. It will be featured very prominently. You will need to have ABC on cable to access the livestream though. If you don't have ABC on cable you can check out streaming services such as Direct TV now and YouTube TV. These services only stream in select markets though so be sure to check beforehand. If you're outside of the USA you'll have to check the official list of broadcasters for the Oscars to see who will have it in your area.
Make Sure You're Setup to Watch it
Once you figure out where you can access it online, you'll need to make sure you have an account. If you're going to watch it on the ABC site you'll need to have an account with a cable company. Otherwise they're not going to let you in. YouTube TV is another option available in some areas. It's basically a service you can use to stream cable channels. It's a very simple sign up process. All you'll need is to go to the website and enter the standard sign up information like name and email.
You'll also need to pay the monthly fee then you're good to go. Direct TV now is the same kind of service except it's available in more places. Again, if these services aren't available in your area you can check the list of official Oscar broadcasters to see who has the rights where you are.
Make Sure Your Internet is Ready
You're going to want to make sure your internet is fast enough to ha doesn't the stream as well. Most places recommend at least a 5/Mbps connection to stream HD video. Of course most home internet packages are faster than this. But, you're going to want to make sure there isn't something else hogging all your bandwidth. If someone else in the house is doing something bandwidth heavy, like streaming or gaming, you might run into buffering issues. If you have access to a 4k device, and stream, you're going to have to really be careful though, as 4k requires 25/Mbps.