How to watch the Oscars in the UK: Online and on TV

The 88th Academy Awards ceremony is being broadcast live on Sunday, February 28. 

This year’s Oscars promises to be the most controversial yet; in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, protesting the lack of diversity in this year’s nominations, it emerged that comedian and actor Chris Rock had signed up for hosting duties. The same Chris Rock who, when hosting the Awards in 2005, said: “Great night tonight. We have four black nominees tonight. So great! It’s kind of like the Def Oscar Jam.” 

It promises to be quite the spectacle. The problem for Brits wanting to watch the Oscars live is, that eight hour time difference means that you’re going to have to pull an all nighter and potentially book the Monday off work if you’ve not already done so. 

Time zone differences aside, there’s also the issue of how you’re actually going to watch the Oscars. This guide tells you everything you need to know. 

What date is the Oscars 2016 ceremony?

The 88th Academy Awards takes place on Sunday, February 28. 

What time is the Oscars 2016 ceremony starting?

Celebrities won’t start hitting the red carpet until 7pm Eastern Standard Time, which equates to midnight UK time. 

The event proper starts at 8:30pm EST – or 1:30am over here. 

How long do the Oscars run for?

Running time of the Oscars typically averages three and a half hours, although it could run for longer. Currently, the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000 takes the top spot for Longest Oscars Ever, running a total of four hours and nine minutes. Maybe get the coffee and Red Bull in if you’re planning on watching this live.

Where can I watch the Oscars 2016 live?

Once again, Sky will be broadcasting the Oscars live here in the UK. 

Related: How can I watch Sky Movies? and How to get Now TVSky Movies Greats will temporarily be replaced with Sky Movies Oscars this month, so if you’re signing up for a Sky Movies bundle, make sure that this channel is included. 

Sky Movies is available to folks with Sky TV or Sky Q (£17/month), Virgin TV (from £15/month), BT TV (£13.50/month) and TalkTalk TV (from £15/month) subscriptions.  

If you can’t get (or don’t want) a pay TV package, you can stream Sky Movies content online with a Now TV Movies Pass (£9.99/month). 

This is the only way to legally watch the Oscars in the UK; there’s an official Oscars live stream but that’s not available to you if you’re trying to access it from outside the US.