President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will participate in 2024’s first presidential debate, set for this Thursday. CNN will host the debate from its Atlanta-based studios, and anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate.
Breaking from tradition, this debate will air far earlier than normal. During a presidential race, it’s customary for the candidates to officially accept their party’s nominations before scheduling a debate. The Republican and Democratic conventions are scheduled for July and August, respectively, which would normally place the first presidential debate in the fall.
That isn’t the only change expected this year.
Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are set to debate on Thursday.
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The event is slated for a 90-minute run time, with two commercial breaks. There won’t be an on-site audience, a major shift prompted by a request from Biden’s team to help lessen crowd distractions. Tapper and Bash will also have the power to mute a candidate’s microphone to lessen interruptions and nonconstructive banter.
This year’s showdown has done away with opening statements. Biden and Trump get directly to work answering the moderators’ questions. They’ll each have two minutes for their answers, one minute for rebuttals and another minute for follow-ups. No props or prewritten notes will be allowed.
Keep reading to find out how to stream the event without cable, including free options and via paid streaming services.
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How to watch June’s presidential debate
Biden and Trump will face off live in the first presidential debate of 2024 on Thursday, June 27, at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) with pre-debate coverage beginning an hour earlier at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). You can stream the event live on CNN Max via the news hub on Max’s streaming service.
Additionally, the debate will air live on CNN’s linear channel, CNN.com (no log-in required), CNN International and CNN en Español.
CNN will simulcast the debate for free on a collection of other networks, with the agreement that the network’s on-air watermark remain on the screen for the debate’s full 90 minute run time.
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You can subscribe to Max for as little as $10 a month (with ads). For the basic ad-free tier, the monthly subscription cost is $17. If you’re interested in watching 4K content, the Ultimate plan will run you $21 a month. Read our Max review.
How to watch 2024’s first presidential debate for free
You’ll be able to stream CNN’s simulcast of the debate for free on CNN.com, C-SPAN.org, the C-SPAN Now app, PBS.org and on Plex TV’s NBC News Now fast channel. Philo will be streaming the event on its USA Today channel, which is available as part of its free lineup or for paid subscribers. You will need to sign up for a free Philo account.
Where else to stream the first 2024 presidential debate live
If you have a live TV streaming service subscription, subscribe to Peacock, or want to try out a platform to watch the first 2024 presidential debate, there are plenty of options to choose from:
With a Sling TV Blue subscription, you’ll be able to watch the debate on ABC and ABC News Live (in some regions), Bloomberg TV, CBS (in some regions), CNN and CNN International, Fox, Fox Business Network (with an extra fee), Fox News Channel, HLN, NBC and MSNBC. ABC, ABC News Live and PBS can be accessed via Hulu With Live TV, which costs $77 per month and has a free trial.Telemundo will air the simulcast, which is carried by YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo.CNN’s simulcast will also be carried by Newsmax, NewsNation, Scripps News and Univision. CNET
A basic Peacock subscription will grant you access to MSNBC and live NBC News channels, priced at $6 per month. You can level things up with Peacock Premium Plus for $12 per month.
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Sling TV’s Blue subscription carries access to CNN, Bloomberg Television, Fox, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC. ABC and CBS are available only in select regions, with Fox Business Network available for an extra fee. The plan costs $40 monthly ($45 in some cities), though new subscribers can sign up and get their first month for half price.