U.S. election live stream: Where to watch Trump vs Harris results online, exit polls
Where to watch all the best election night specials as America decides who will be the next U.S. president
Watch the U.S. election live stream to see how Trump vs Harris pans out through the course of the night as both candidates race towards the 270 mark in the electoral college. Here's our guide to where to watch and stream U.S. election online for free and from anywhere with a VPN.
U.S. election live streams take place on Tuesday, November 5
• Polls close from: 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. GMT (Nov. 6) / 2 p.m. AEDT (Nov. 6)
• U.S. — Watch on ABC via Sling
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
The polls ahead of election day showed the two candidates neck-and-neck and the initial data emerging data seem to confirm how close the race is. The decision will likely come down to a few thousand voters in swing states such as Pennsylvania. It will likely be a good few days before the 47th President of the United States is declared.
The final days of campaigning were characterized by huge rallies and celebrity endorsements. The likes of Cardi B. and Bruce Springsteen turned out for Kamala Harris, while Elon Musk and Hulk Hogan endorsed Donald Trump. Now we have to wait to find out who has won the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the White House.
Read on to find where you can watch U.S. election live streams online from anywhere in the world, with plenty of free live streams available.
How to watch U.S. election live stream for free
The seismic nature of this year's race to the White House means there is coverage is the world over, some of it FREE.
In the United States., the ABC News Live website will feature rolling coverage.
You can also tap into free coverage in the U.K. (BBC iPlayer, Sky News, Channel 4) and Australia (SBS, 9Now, 10 Play)
Our full guide to how to watch U.S. election 2024 is below.
How to watch U.S. election live streams from anywhere
Overseas? If you find that the country that you've traveled to is geo-blocking free streams of the Harris vs Trump election night coverage there is a way around this — using a VPN. A VPN makes it appear like you're surfing the web from your home allowing you to access the streaming services you'd normally have access to in your home country. Our favorite VPN is NordVPN.
There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate as the best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features, too. With over 6,000 servers, across 110 countries, and at a great price, it's easy to recommend.
Where to watch U.S. election live streams in the U.S.
Coverage of the 2024 U.S. presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will be broadcast on all the major networks on Tuesday, November 9.
- ABC coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4p.m. PT. There are several ways you can access ABC, the most obvious being to pull it down with one of the best TV antennas or through your cable plan. ABC will also stream through the ABC News Live website and ABC app. As well as through Disney Plus and Hulu streaming platforms.
- CNN will begin its coverage, anchored by Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper, at 4 p.m ET / 1 p.m ET. As well as watching on cable, you can live stream CNN on the CNN Max streaming service and CNN.com.
- Fox News coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT and will be anchored by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. It will be available on cable as well as on the Fox News website and app.
- MSNBC prime-time election coverage also begins at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. It is led, of course, by Rachel Maddow.
- NBC U.S. election coverage starts at 5 p.m ET / 2 p.m PT and is led by Steve Kornaki. It is also going to be available on on Peacock TV (from $7.99/mo), which will be using the multi-view function it debuted at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
- Prime Video is getting in on the act too, with a U.S election live stream fronted by former NBC/MSNBC host Brian Williams and former Fox New anchor Sheperd Smith. Prime Video costs from $8.99 per month after 30-day free trial.
Sling TV is one of the best cable alternatives around. Its Sling Blue package includes FOX News, ABC News and CNN in selected marked – plus MSNBC, Bloomberg TV and more. Plans start at $40/month and you can cancel any time. Get 50% off your first month of Sling TV.
Traveling outside the U.S.? Follow election night coverage from anywhere in the world by using NordVPN to unblock your usual U.S. streamer.
Where to watch U.S. election streams online in U.K.
Various UK news channels are offering U.S. election coverage, including for FREE.
- BBC: U.S. Chief Presenters Caitríona Perry and Sumi Somaskanda will lead the BBC's coverage. It starts at 10:40 p.m. GMT on BBC One and the BBC News Channel. You can watch for FREE on BBC iPlayer, but remember that you need to be a licence fee payer.
- Sky News: Chief presenter Mark Austin and world news presenter Yalda Hakim will lead the Sky News coverage from Washington. If you want to sign up to watch, you can check out Sky TV deals and packages for today's best prices. Coverage begins at 10 p.m. GMT.
- Channel 4: For the first time in three decades, Channel 4 is offering coverage of U.S. election night. It will have a slightly different tone than its rivals. Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Emily Maitlis are anchoring, but "Succession" star Brian Cox, Stormy Daniels, and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson are set to join. It all begins at 10 p.m. GMT. You can watch and stream for free on Channel 4.
Not in the U.K.? You can still follow your usual U.S. election night live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.
Where to watch U.S. election live streams in Canada
In Canada, the Harris-Trump election results are available to watch on CBC and CBC News. The primetime special begins at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, although there is coverage all day.
- America Votes, from at 8 p.m. ET, sees chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault joined on set by The National senior host Ian Hanomansing, senior Washington correspondent Paul Hunter, and chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton, to bring you analysis and the latest updates from our journalists on the ground.
- Canada Tonight's Travis Dhanraj picks up our coverage at 3 a.m. ET with America Votes: After the Vote.
You can watch it all on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem and everywhere you stream CBC News.
Traveling abroad for work or on vacation? Access the coverage you usually watch at home with one of the best VPN services – we recommend trying NordVPN first.
Where to watch U.S. election live streams in Australia
Although the time difference means most of the action will take place on Wednesday, November 6, Australia's major TV networks have cleared their schedules to show the Trump vs Harris presidential election results coming in.
These include ABC, SBS, Network 10 and Sky News. Free streams are available via SBS On Demand, 9Now and 10 Play.
- SBS will broadcast exclusive LIVE coverage of the United States Presidential election on Wednesday, November 6 from 10 a.m. AEDT in partnership with PBS News.
- The US Election 2024 – SBS World News & PBS News Special presented by SBS’s Janice Petersen will begin with an hour of US election coverage before crossing to the PBS News Election 2024 Special which is co-anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett.
Overseas and keen to watch through one of these services? You'll find that you can't due to geo-restrictions. To get around these you'll need a service like NordVPN to stream as if you were back home Down Under.
What time will we know the U.S. election result?
Given how tight this race is, we might be in for a long one. It's possible we will not know whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump have won until Thursday, November 6 or Friday, November 7.
More from Tom's Guide
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox.
Here at Tom’s Guide our expert editors are committed to bringing you the best news, reviews and guides to help you stay informed and ahead of the curve!
Charlotte Henry is a journalist who has covered all things tech and media for a number of years for various publications. She reported in-depth as tech companies became media companies and vice versa. In her newsletter, The Addition, she focuses on the ever-changing streaming ecosystem as the likes of Netflix, Apple TV+ and Disney+ fight for supremacy. Charlotte is also a close follower of sport (she’s a Spurs fan…) watching everything from Premier League football to Major League Baseball. Charlotte’s first book “Not Buying It: The Facts Behind Fake News” was published in 2019. Away from work, she can often be found at heavy metal concerts and festivals.