2026 Emmy Watch Guide
Image Source: Television Academy

Television’s biggest night is almost here, and the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are shaping up to be one of the most stacked ceremonies in years. Between “The Pitt” leading the pack with 25 nominations, “Hacks” close behind, and buzzy newcomers like “Pluribus” shaking up the drama race, this is a ceremony worth clearing your calendar for. 

If you’re already asking yourself how to watch the Emmys this year, you’re in the right place. From the red carpet pre-show to the final envelope of the night, StreamSafely is here to walk you through every legal, secure way to watch the Emmy Awards show without risking your personal information on shady streaming sites.

Where To Watch the Emmys 2026: Channels and Streaming Services

Whether you prefer settling in with cable or catching up on demand, viewers have more than one way to catch television’s biggest night. Here’s a breakdown of where the ceremony airs and how to stream it if you miss the live broadcast.

Cable TV

  • Channel: NBC
  • Date: Monday, September 14, 2026
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
  • Location: Peacock Theater, Los Angeles
  • Nominations Announced: July 8, 2026


This year marks NBC’s turn in the broadcast rotation, and the network is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the honor of hosting the 78th Emmy Awards. If your current TV package includes NBC, you’ll be able to watch the entire show from the opening monologue through the final Outstanding Drama Series announcement. 

Since NBC is airing the show live coast to coast, you can also check local listings for your NBC affiliate if you’re unsure of the exact channel number on your provider. Traditional broadcast remains one of the most dependable ways to catch the show, and it doesn’t require any new sign-ups or subscriptions if you already have access.

The Emmys Official Platform

  • Official Platform:  Free

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) offers a free way to catch official Emmys content, including select streamed events, red carpet coverage, and past ceremony highlights, through Watch.TheEmmys.tv. 

While the main telecast itself airs through NBC and Peacock, the official platform is a great supplemental resource for behind-the-scenes content and additional Emmy Awards programming leading up to the big night. It’s compatible with most major devices, including iOS, Android, Roku, and smart TVs, making it easy to catch extra coverage no matter what you’re streaming on.

Peacock

  • Peacock Premium: $12.99 per month
  • Peacock Premium Plus: $19.99 per month
  • Free Trial: Not currently offered

As NBC’s official streaming partner, Peacock is the most direct way to stream the 78th Emmy Awards live. A Peacock Premium subscription gets you live access to the ceremony the moment it airs, along with next-day replays if you can’t watch live. Peacock Premium Plus adds an ad-free viewing experience for the rest of its library, including current and past seasons of NBC favorites. Peacock is also home to a deep well of nominee-adjacent content, from “Saturday Night Live” to “The Traitors,” so it’s worth having in your streaming lineup well beyond awards night.

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Hulu + Live TV

  • Hulu + Live TV (With Ads): $89.99 per month
  • Hulu + Live TV (No Ads): $99.99 per month
  • Free Trial: Yes, 3 days

Hulu + Live TV bundles more than 95 live channels, including NBC in most markets, with the full on-demand Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN Select. That means you can watch the Emmys live and then catch up on nominees like “Only Murders in the Building” and “Paradise” without ever leaving the app. Every plan comes with unlimited DVR, so if awards night runs long, you can record it and pick up right where you left off.

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YouTube TV

  • YouTube TV Base Plan: $82.99 per month
  • Free Trial: Yes, 7 days

YouTube TV remains one of the most popular live TV streaming services, with over 100 channels including NBC in most local markets. With up to six accounts per household and three simultaneous streams, it’s an easy way for the whole family to catch the red carpet pre-show and the main ceremony together. YouTube TV also recently rolled out genre-specific plans, but for Emmys viewing, the main plan is your best bet to guarantee access to your local NBC affiliate.

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FuboTV

  • Fubo Pro Plan: $88.99 per month
  • Free Trial: Yes, 5 days
  • Fubo has long been known as a favorite among sports fans, but its channel lineup, which includes NBC in most markets, also makes it a solid option for awards season. With unlimited cloud DVR and streaming on up to 10 screens, Fubo gives larger households an easy way to watch the ceremony together, whether that’s live or recorded for later.

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  • DIRECTV STREAM
  • DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment Package: $89.99 per month
  • Free Trial: Yes, 5 days

DIRECTV STREAM provides access to local NBC affiliates across its plans, depending on your zip code, along with a channel lineup that closely mirrors traditional cable. Select plans now also bundle in access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited, adding extra value beyond just the live channel lineup. With unlimited DVR included, you can record the ceremony to watch later if your schedule doesn’t line up with the 8 p.m. ET start time.

The platform also offers a free, ad-supported option called MyFree DirecTV that allows viewers to watch over 150 live TV channels with no satellite dish, credit card, or subscription required. 

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78th Emmy Awards Host

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay will step into the hosting role for the 78th Emmy Awards, taking over from last year’s host, comedian Nate Bargatze. Hargitay, a television veteran and longtime NBC face, called the opportunity “the heartbeat of my career” in her hosting announcement, noting the added significance of hosting during NBC’s 100th anniversary year. Expect a night that leans into NBC’s long broadcast history while still delivering the red carpet coverage and unpredictable award-show moments fans look forward to every year.

2026 Nominees

The nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards were announced by the Television Academy on July 8, 2026, with “The Pitt” leading the pack with 25 nominations, followed closely by “Hacks” with 24. Here is the full slate of this year’s major Emmy nominees:

Outstanding Drama Series

Outstanding Comedy Series

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

Outstanding Variety Series

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

  • The Diplomat, Amagansett — Peter Ackerman, Debora Cahn
  • The Pitt, 1:00 P.M. — Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman, R. Scott Gemmill
  • The Pitt, 12:00 P.M. — Valerie Chu
  • Pluribus, We Is Us — Vince Gilligan
  • Slow Horses, Scars — Will Smith
  • Task, A Still Small Voice — Brad Ingelsby

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Jamie Abrahams, Rory Albanese, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Bryan Cook, Devin Field, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Laurie Kilmartin, Jimmy Kimmel, Gregory Martin, Jesse McLaren, Keaton Patti, Louis Virtel, Troy Walker
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali, Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Ryan Ken, Sofía Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir, Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Aaron Nemo, Asher Perlman, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux, Steve Waltien

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

  • The Gilded Age, My Mind Is Made Up — Salli Richardson Whitfield
  • Paradise, Exodus — Hanelle M. Culpepper
  • The Pitt, 12:00 P.M. — Noah Wyle
  • Pluribus, We Is Us — Vince Gilligan
  • Slow Horses, Scars — Saul Metzstein
  • Task, Out Beyond Ideas Of Wrongdoing And Rightdoing, There Is A River. — Salli Richardson Whitfield

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

  • Beef, It Will Stay This Way And You Will Obey — Jake Schreier
  • Beef, Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort — Lee Sung Jin
  • Black Rabbit, The Black Rabbits — Jason Bateman
  • DTF St. Louis — Steven Conrad

Options for All Your Favorite Shows

Trying to catch up on every Emmy nominee before the ceremony airs can feel like a full-time job, especially with contenders spread across so many different platforms this year. StreamSafely’s comprehensive TV database lays out exactly where you can legally stream every nominated series, from long-running hits like “The Morning Show” and “The Last of Us” to newer breakouts like “The Penguin.”


Instead of falling prey to deceptive torrent sites or sketchy free-streaming pages that could compromise your personal data, our database gives you a direct, up-to-date path to every legal viewing platform and safe ways to view the most pirated movies and TV shows. We update our database regularly as streaming rights shift, so you can always find the right home for whatever’s on your watchlist.

Watch Safely With StreamSafely

As the 78th Emmy Awards approach, make StreamSafely your go-to resource for catching every award-show moment the right way. We’re committed to helping you access this year’s biggest ceremonies and best television through legitimate services, keeping you protected from the risks of viewing pirated content, from malware to legal penalties for piracy that most viewers don’t realize they’re exposed to.


For budget-conscious viewers, we’ve also put together a guide to free, legal streaming options that can help you catch up on nominees without adding another subscription to your monthly bill. Whether you’re tuning in on Peacock, watching through your existing cable package, or catching the ceremony live on NBC, we hope you enjoy every red carpet moment!

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