While celebrities honor their fellow hard-workers of the industry at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, the general public will be at home, watching without the glitz of the red carpet. The exclusive event may force the public to watch on any number of screens and devices, but at least there’s always the option to catch the ceremony for free online.
At 5:00 p.m. PST on Jan. 21, the 2018 SAG awards will begin with Kristen Bell presiding over the event. Viewers with even the most basic television package will likely be able to catch the ceremony on TNT and TBS. Those without access to those two networks will still be able to watch Bell and more than 30 presenters honor their peers in 15 nomination categories.
Free access to the SAG awards by somebody with a cable package for their username and password to access TNT and TBS online streaming; but for viewers with skittish family and friends, there are other options. In the minutes leading up to the start of the awards ceremony, log into YouTube or Twitch to see if there are any unofficial live streams being broadcast.
Access to TNT and TBS can also be obtained through Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. While they are normally paid services, new customers can benefit from a free trial offer. Simply sign up for either service using the trial offer and, immediately after the ceremony is over, cancel the automatic renewal. Hulu Live and DirecTV Now will also be broadcasting the awards ceremony, and, like Sling or Playstation Vue, both offer a free trial. As a last resort, if you have friends or family that watch the ceremony, ask if you can watch the show with them.
Members of the Screen Actors Guild will also have the opportunity to view the SAG awards at local viewing parties across the country. Though not all of them are free, parties in cities like Las Vegas, Nashville, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland will be inviting local SAG members for a casual viewing event. Some parties, like the ones in Nashville and Austin, will be open to the general public with paid admission. See the full list of parties here.
The 24th Annual SAG Awards will honor the men and women of film and television for their impeccable work throughout 2017. Productions like Stranger Things, Big Little Lies, The Shape of Water, I, Tonya, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri are all up for multiple nominations.