How to Watch the Oscars Online for FREE in 2024
Reading time: 11 min
Updated on February 27, 2024
As a huge cinema fan, I’m really excited every year to see the Oscars. However, unless you’re in countries like the US, UK, or Australia, you may have issues streaming the Oscars, as the event is broadcast on ABC, Hulu, CTV, and other region-locked sites.
Technically, you could change your IP address to one from the above countries with a VPN to stream the Oscars. However, this may go against the platforms’ terms of service, and my team and I don’t condone any illegal activity.
If you’re in countries where the event is streaming, you must still protect yourself with a VPN. Otherwise, you might leak your IP address and compromise your privacy, and hackers might spy on your traffic. ExpressVPN is the best overall choice for safety, and you can try ExpressVPN risk-free. The app’s 30-day money-back guarantee means you can ask support for a full refund if you’re unsatisfied with its performance. Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
Quick Guide: 3 Easy Steps to Safely Watch the 2024 Oscars
- Get a VPN. I suggest you install ExpressVPN because it lets you enjoy lag-free streams while staying completely safe.
- Connect to a server. Navigate the server browser and connect to your home country’s server. You can access 2 platforms that broadcast the Oscars for free if you’re in the US or Australia.
- Stream safely. Access your preferred streaming platform with an encrypted connection and safely stream the Oscars.
Why You Need a VPN to Stay Safe
You can watch the Oscars from various countries without one, but you should still get a VPN to ensure you stay safe while streaming or doing anything else online. Without a VPN, hackers may spy on whatever you’re doing, and you might leak identifying information like your IP address.
A VPN offers online safety by protecting your connection with military-grade encryption standards, like AES 256-bit. Plus, the best VPNs have leak protection to ensure information like your IP address doesn’t get leaked online.
There are various reliable VPNs, but I suggest getting ExpressVPN, as it’s the best overall choice. It offers AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, and more to guarantee unbreakable online safety.
Use These Platforms to Easily Watch the Oscars in 2024
If you’re in the US, you can create a free Locast account to watch the Oscars without paying for a streaming subscription. You won’t need to provide a local zip code. Alternatively, if you’re in Australia, you can stream the Oscars on 7plus for free.
The Oscars are also broadcast across multiple platforms in the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada. To get unrestricted access to the awards ceremony quickly, use one of these official broadcasters:
| Streaming Platform | Accepted payment method | Free trial | Languages available |
| Locast | Free to use | Sign up with your email to use the service for free | English and Spanish |
| 7plus | Free to use | Watch for free when you sign up with an Australian postcode | English |
| Hulu | US credit card or PayPal, but also accepts gift cards from MyGiftCardSupply.com | 7-day free trial | English and Spanish |
| YouTube TV | US credit card or PayPal | 7-day free trial | English |
| NowTV with Sky Cinema Pass | UK credit card or PayPal with a UK postcode as an account confirmation | 7-day free trial | English, German, and Italian |
| AT&T TV | US credit card or PayPal | N/A | English, French, Spanish, German, and Chinese |
| CTV | Use the platform only if you have a Canadian TV cable subscription | N/A | English and French |
While you’re likely to find unlicensed free streams of the Academy Awards ceremony, avoid using them, as they can put you in danger. Cybercriminals set up malicious websites that offer free access to live streams to break through your device’s security. They then steal your personal information for scams, identity theft, and other hacking purposes.
If that wasn’t enough, copyright authorities constantly remove the unofficial streams as soon as they find them. This means you may get cut off before the ceremony even starts, and you could miss out on seeing who gets to take the statue home.
The Best VPNs to Safely Watch The Oscars in 2024
1. ExpressVPN — Unbreakable Security and the Fastest Speeds for Bufferless Streaming
Key Features:
- 3,000+ servers, including 100+ servers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
- Has AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, and more for online security
- Offers lightning-fast connection speeds for lag-free streaming
- Connects up to 8 devices simultaneously
- 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is my top choice because of its blazing-fast speeds. I expected my traffic to slow down when I set up my connection, but ExpressVPN’s servers were as fast as my base internet speed. During tests, my colleague in the US streamed the Oscars live on various services without lag, buffering, or long loading times.
The VPN’s default protocol already gave me fast connections, but I could increase my speeds with ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol. My speed increased by 15Mbps, automatically improving the video quality to 4K. You can easily enable it in your VPN settings, and you’ll notice the difference instantly.
If you need to bypass censorship in China and other countries with restrictive laws, ExpressVPN can go around any firewalls to help you watch the 2024 ceremony. The VPN uses some of the toughest security protocols and bank-level encryption to ensure you won’t be blocked from accessing any content online.
Besides the impressive performance, ExpressVPN uses some of the toughest security protocols and AES 256-bit encryption for online safety. Plus, it has leak protection to ensure information like your IP address is never leaked online.
I noticed ExpressVPN offers slightly more expensive subscriptions than other VPNs. Don’t worry — you can save even 82% when you sign up through its hidden deals page. Whether you decide to use the promotion or not, you can try ExpressVPN at no risk, as it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Since ExpressVPN offers “no questions asked” refunds, the live chat advisor authorized my request without trying to change my mind first. I saw the full fee was in my bank account 4 days later.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
ExpressVPN works on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Amazon Firestick, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, routers, and more.
2. CyberGhost — Offers Streaming-Optimized Servers That Deliver Fast Speeds Without Compromising Safety
Key Features:
- 11,670+ servers, including multiple optimized servers for lag-free streaming
- Protects online activity via AES 256-bit encryption and a no-logs policy
- Allows streaming on 7 devices simultaneously
- Provides support via responsive 24/7 live chat
- 45-day money-back guarantee
CyberGhost has optimized servers for instant and bufferless streaming of the Oscars. These locations let you stream in the highest resolution possible without compromising security. During tests, my colleague in the US used various optimized servers to watch the Oscars on Locast and AT&T.
If you’re in Australia, you can safely watch the Oscars on 7plus after connecting to CyberGhost’s regular servers in Australia. Though the standard servers were 10-15Mbps slower, my colleague in Australia streamed the ceremony at 720p. Even though this isn’t as good as ExpressVPN’s stream quality, it’s still impressive.
Of course, the app also offers excellent security. CyberGhost uses AES 256-bit encryption and has a no-logs policy, meaning you’ll remain safe and completely anonymous while connected to its servers.
If you know many movie fanatics, you can use CyberGhost to share your account and watch the Oscars even on 7 devices. My tests showed CyberGhost’s speeds didn’t slow down even when I maxed out my connections.
If you get CyberGhost with its money-back guarantee, you can use it for 45 days risk-free. I tested its refund policy through the 24/7 live chat after 23 days of subscribing. I had to explain why I wanted to cancel, but my request was approved when I said I wasn’t interested in the VPN anymore. I received the refund within 6 business days.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as CyberGhost VPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
CyberGhost works on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Amazon Firestick, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, routers, and more.
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Offers Excellent Security and One of the Biggest Server Networks
Key Features:
- Has a massive network of 35,000+ worldwide servers
- Provides AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, and other tools for safety
- Secures connections on unlimited devices at once
- Has 24/7 live chat and email support for assistance
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Private Internet Access has 35,000+ servers worldwide, including multiple countries broadcasting the Oscars. During tests, PIA’s servers instantly loaded streams and let my colleague in the US watch the Oscars in UHD. The large server network greatly reduces the likelihood of any locations slowing down due to overcrowding, meaning your stream won’t buffer as you’re about to find out who takes the famous award home.
You won’t have trouble connecting to a server as PIA is a great VPN to use on Windows, iPhone, Android, and other operating systems. I only had to select the country I wanted to connect to, and the VPN found the fastest server for me in 10 seconds. That way, you don’t have to worry about buffering and can stream without buffering.
Of course, PIA also offers excellent security. You’ll get AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, and a no-logs policy with this app. So, you’ll remain completely safe and anonymous online while connected to PIA’s servers.
You can try PIA risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. You’ll get a refund if you cancel your account through email or the 24/7 live chat within that time — I did it myself. A PIA representative offered to fix any issues, but he approved my request after I declined. I received the money in my account within 5 days.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as Private Internet Access. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
PIA works on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Amazon Fire Stick, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, routers, and more.
FAQs on Staying Safe While Watching the Oscars
Is using a VPN to watch The Oscars legal?
Yes, using a VPN to stream the Oscars safely isn’t against the law. However, the event is under copyright laws, meaning it’ll go against a platform’s terms of service if you change your IP address to another region to access it. My team and I don’t condone any illegal activity like circumventing geo-blocks.
I’m having trouble streaming The Oscars, is my VPN the reason?
It’s possible, but your VPN probably isn’t the main reason you can’t stream the Oscars. As long as you choose one of the top VPNs available, you should avoid most streaming issues.
Many official broadcasters may struggle to handle the user load on their servers during popular events like the Oscars. This can severely impact your connection and even kick you out of the stream entirely. If you find yourself staring at the 404 error or stuck in endless buffering, try refreshing the page until it works.
What can I use a VPN for after the 2024 Oscars are over?
After safely streaming the Oscars, you can use a VPN for various other benefits, including the following:
- Stay anonymous online by encrypting your connection.
- Improve gaming performance by connecting to servers that give the least ping.
Protect Yourself Without Missing a Single Moment of the Oscars
No matter where you’re streaming the Oscars from, it’s critical to protect your online presence with a VPN. Otherwise, hackers could spy on your activity, and you may leak identifying information like your IP address, thus compromising privacy and putting you at risk.
All the VPNs above deliver excellent security while also maintaining fast speeds for lag-free Oscars streaming. However, ExpressVPN stands out as the best choice. It has AES 256-bit encryption and various tools for security. Plus, the lightning-fast connection speeds ensure you’ll never experience any lag.
Best of all, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free. The app has a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can contact support to ask for a full refund if you’re unsatisfied with its performance.
Summary — Watch The Oscars Now With These VPNs (Updated 2024)
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
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