If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our site, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.
President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in to begin his second term in the Oval Office on Monday, and J.D. Vance will be sworn in as the 50th Vice President of the United States.
The 60th Presidential Inauguration will be held on January 20 in Washington, D.C., with the theme "Our Enduring Democracy: The Constitution's Promise." Due to the cold weather, the ceremony was moved indoors.
Overview: How to watch the 2025 inauguration online
- when: January 20; special coverage beginning as early as 4 a.m. PT/7 a.m. ET, with ceremony beginning at approximately 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET
- channel: ABC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, NBC, PBS, etc.
- Online streaming: DirecTV, Frndly, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Paramount+, Philo, Sling
Read on for more details on coverage from major news networks and how to watch the inauguration online via cable and wireless options, including free viewing.
How to watch the inauguration: schedule, swearing-in ceremony times, performances
The inauguration ceremony will be held on Monday, January 20, beginning at approximately 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time/11:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Carrie Underwood will perform "America the Beautiful" with the Armed Forces Chorus and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club, and opera singer Christopher Maggio will sing "Oh, America!" ” at the end of the ceremony. Country singer Lee Greenwood is also expected to take the stage.
The swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance will begin at approximately 9 a.m. PT/12 noon ET, followed by the inaugural address. Supreme Court President John Roberts will administer the oath of office to Trump, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh will administer the oath of office to Vance.
The ceremony continues with the honorable departure of the outgoing President and Vice President, followed by a signing ceremony, an inaugural luncheon, and pass review (where the President and Vice President review the troops in a dress review).
The festivities conclude with the Presidential Parade at Capital One Arena at approximately 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET.
How to watch election coverage online on cable TV
Cable subscribers can use their TV provider credentials to log into each network's website or app to stream election coverage online on TVs, smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, including streaming and traditional services such as DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu+ Live TV, Sling, Verizon, Xfinity, and more.
How to watch election coverage online without cable TV
Cable subscribers can watch election coverage for free with a three- to seven-day trial of select cable streaming services, including DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and Paramount+ with Showtime. Read below for more options and details on the best cable streaming deals right now.
live tv streaming
Eligible new subscribers can watch live election night coverage for free with DirecTV's 7-day trial. DirecTV's entry-level entertainment channel ($74.99 per month) offers more than 90 local and national channels, including ABC, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, NBC, CNN, NewsNation, The CW, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, AMC and more.
Choice plans start at $79.99 per month (guaranteed for two years) and are available on more than 125 local and national channels. Other plans offer over 90-185 channels at limited-time prices ranging from $74.99 to $154.99 per month. Learn more about DirecTV's current streaming deals here.
fubo
Subscribe to Fubo and get access to over 170 other news, entertainment and sports channels, with new subscribers getting $5 off your first month and a 5-day free trial. Thereafter, the cable streaming service's Pro package starts at $79.99 per month, offering up to 205 channels.
Other plans include the Professional package for $79.99 per month (216 channels) and the Elite package for $89.99 per month. Plans include unlimited DVR and streaming on up to 10 screens.
Hulu + Live TV
Eligible new subscribers can watch the inauguration for free with a three-day trial on Hulu + Live TV. The cable provider offers more than 90 news, entertainment and sports networks, including ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC and more.
In addition to live cable TV, Hulu + Live TV allows subscribers to watch original productions from Hulu, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm (Star Wars), The Muppets Studio and Pixar Animation, as well as ESPN+, which provides original sports programming and live sports from Formula 1, UFC, MLB and other sports leagues.
Paramount+
Watch CBS News' coverage of the inauguration with Paramount+ on Showtime for $12.99 per month. (Please note, the ad-supported Paramount+ Essential plan does not include live access to CBS.) Eligible new subscribers can watch seven days of inauguration coverage for free.
Peacock (NBC only)
Stream NBC News' Inauguration Day coverage live on Peacock for $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year) for the ad-supported Premium plan or $13.99 per month ($139.99 per year) for the Premium Plus plan, which includes limited ads and Local NBC channel.
sling
Sling's Blue plan is your best choice for streaming over 45 local and national news networks, including ABC, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and more; upgrade to the Orange and Blue combo plans for more. The streamer, normally $45 per month, offers eligible new subscribers up to 50% off the first month. Please note that pricing and channel availability vary by market.
Inauguration Day 2025: Where to watch special coverage
All major news networks will provide special live coverage of Trump's second presidential inauguration. Read on for details on the major networks' Inauguration Day plans. Note that some networks may require TV provider credentials or a subscription to a streaming service to watch the live stream online, while others offer free live streaming access.
- ABC News Live: special edition good morning america ABC News will provide live coverage of Inauguration Day at 4 a.m. PT/7 a.m. ET. 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET, world news tonight Anchor and Managing Editor David Muir will host special reporting from the nation's capital. The ABC News Live streaming channel is available on Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video and other platforms.
- CBS News: Errol Barnett leads CBS News' 24/7 inaugural coverage, starting at 3 a.m. PT/6 p.m. ET with special editions cbs morning show The CTS show, co-hosted by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson, will air at 4 a.m. PT/7 a.m. ET on CTS broadcast on. Norah O'Donnell anchors CBS News 2/7 and CBS at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET until 2 p.m. PT 3 a.m./5 p.m. ET.
- CNN: Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper co-host CNNDonald Trump's inauguration Starting at 4am PT/7am PT, Dana Bash, Caitlan Collins, Audie Cornish, Jamie Gangel, John King, ABby Phillip and others join as reporters. Trump Inaugural Ball Coverage begins at 4pm PT/7pm ET.
- C-span: C-SPAN's Inauguration Day coverage begins at 4 a.m. PT/7 a.m. ET, washington daily;The network will continue to cover the parade and inaugural ball.
- one US election night Starting at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET, John King will announce the results on the Magic Wall. (You need to log in to your TV provider to stream online.)
- Fox News: Inauguration Day coverage begins at fox and friends first 1 a.m. PT/4 a.m. ET with Carley Shimkus and Todd Piro, followed by fox and friends With Bilan Kilmeade, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhart and Lawrence Jones. Coverage continues at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET America's Newsroom Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer atn Fokker Focus Meet Harris Faulkner at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET. Special ceremony coverage begins at 8am PT/11am PT and runs until 3pm PT/5pm ET. (TV provider login required.)
- MSNBC: Inauguration Day coverage begins at too early Meet Ali Vitali at 2 a.m. PT/5 a.m. ET, followed by good morning joe Co-hosted by Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist at 3am PT/6am ET. Rachel Maddow takes over at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET to provide loving coverage of the inauguration; reporters Chris Hayes, Ari Melber, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Joe She will be joined by E. Reed, Stephanie Ruhl, Alex Wagner and Nicole Wallace. (TV provider login required.)
- NBC News: NBC's 24/7 special coverage begins at 4 a.m. PT/7 a.m. ET, todaySavannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin and Al Roker live in the capital. The network's free NBC News Now app will simulcast content on Peacock, YouTube, the Roku Channel and other streaming platforms.
- News Country: hills's Blake Burman begins pregame coverage at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET; Chris Cuomo, Chris Stirewalt, Elizabeth Vargas Vargas and Leland Vittert will co-host inauguration coverage from 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET to 12 noon PT/3 p.m. ET. A special post-ceremony debrief will follow. (NewsNation can be streamed on web apps and through DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu, Sling and other cable streamers.)
- PBS News: Inauguration Day coverage begins at 7:30 a.m. PT/10:30 a.m. ET with co-hosts Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett, and correspondents include Laura Barrón-López, Lisa Desjardins, John Yang, Stephanie Sy, Nick Schifrin and Judy Woodruff , among others.