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The American Music Awards, or AMAs, are back to celebrate their 50th anniversary. We’ll show you everything you need to know about where to watch the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special, including what channel it airs on and how to live stream it without cable.
Created by Dick Clark in 1974, the AMAs have become one of the biggest fan-voted music awards shows. While the awards show has been off-air since its 2022 installment and won’t come back officially until 2025, top pop culture figures will gather this Sunday to celebrate the AMAs’ 50th Anniversary in style. The two-hour special is shaping up to be a star-studded event, with appearances and/or performances from Cedric The Entertainer, Kate Hudson, Reba McEntire, Samuel L. Jackson, Gladys Knight, Green Day, Nelly, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, and many more.
Keep reading to learn how to tune into the AMA’s 50th Anniversary Special. Plus, we’ll show you how to watch it if you’re traveling away from home.
- See also: Where to watch the Real Housewives of New York | Where to watch the Golden Bachelorette | Where to watch Agatha All Along
Where to watch the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special in the US
The American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special will air on CBS on Sunday, October 6, at 8 p.m. ET in the US. Cord-cutters can live stream the network, and the anniversary special, through several top streaming services, including Paramount+, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo.
The cheapest way to watch the event is through a Paramount+ subscription. You’ll need to subscribe to the Paramount+ with Showtime tier to access a CBS live stream, which costs $12.99/month or $119.99/year. In addition to a CBS live stream, you’ll gain access to ad-free CBS, Paramount, and Showtime content.
Paramount Plus offers a huge library of on-demand content from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. The Premium Plan also includes Showtime and live CBS streaming. It costs $12 a month or $120 a year
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive cable alternative that offers CBS and other live channels, DirecTV Stream and Fubo will be able to help you out. Fubo starts at $80/month and includes 100+ channels. You can try it out free for seven days and get $20 off your first month. DirectTV Stream plans cost $87/month and feature 90+ channels. You can get a five-day free trial of the service.
Previously known as AT&T TV, DirecTV Stream offers streaming access to a large selection of live channels, including most key networks typically found in traditional cable packages.
Fubo is the streaming service for sports fans. Its huge library of channels includes regional and international sports leagues, setting it apart from the competition. You can also tack on additional programming to your plan, but it’ll cost you extra.
How to watch the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special from anywhere
Even if you’re traveling away from home, you can still catch the anniversary special with your subscriptions by using a VPN (virtual private network). These handy tools can help you change your device’s virtual location so that you can still use your usual apps and websites from almost anywhere in the world. Plus, they’re quick ways to boost your cybersecurity. Since the services we’ve recommended require US payment methods, this will work best for Americans who are simply traveling outside the US.
ExpressVPN is our top recommendation due to its user-friendliness and hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Full details can be found in our ExpressVPN review.
With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.
How to watch the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special with a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don’t have one.
- Install it on the device you’re using to watch the game.
- Turn it on and set it to a US location.
- Sign up for your chosen streaming service if you don’t already have an account and navigate to CBS.
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Enjoy the special!
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
Lillian Brown
Associate Editor of Streaming
Lillian Brown is the Associate Editor of Streaming for Business Insider. She joined the company in early 2024 as a Fellow before joining us full-time a few months later. She focuses on ‘how to watch’ guides for streaming services and live events for the Reviews team. She also covers VPN usage.Her entertainment writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Vulture, TV Guide, Time, Esquire, and The Daily Beast, among others. She specializes in writing about film and television. Previously, she worked in the Living/Arts department of The Boston Globe.When not teaching people how to stream the best live sports and TV shows, Lillian can be found long-distance running, watching the latest season of For All Mankind, or playing through The Last of Us Part II on her PS4 yet again.
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