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Everyone across the nation is gearing up for the total solar eclipse on April 8. It will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada, according to NASA’s website, which describes the event as “when Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.”
To view the solar eclipse in person, you’ll need a special-purpose solar filter to cover your eyes for optimal protection. But if you’d prefer to watch the eclipse from indoors and avoid the crowds, or aren’t residing in one of the 15 states it will be completely visible from—NASA says Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine plus small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will see it in its totality—the event will be live streamed online for all to see.
Keep reading to find out how to watch the solar eclipse online for free so you don’t miss a second of the rare viewing.
When is the 2024 solar eclipse airing online?
NBC will air a two-hour special, “Total Eclipse 2024,” at 2 p.m. ET. with Lester Holt as the host. Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly, Sheinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer and Jenna Bush Hager will also be joining from the Museum of Natural History in New York City.
NBC is available to stream on a variety of networks.
How to watch 2024 solar eclipse live for free
The 2024 solar eclipse will air on NBC, which is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Peacock, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial and starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial and starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends. Peacock and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, however, they are cheaper per month than the other options. Peacock starts at $5.99 per month, while Hulu+ With Live TV starts at $68.99 per month and offers plans that include free subscriptions to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Best Overall Pick to Watch 2024 solar eclipse: DirecTV Stream’s Free Trial
Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch 2024 solar eclipse for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. DirecTV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $79.99 per month; Choice, which costs $108.99 per month with the first two months at $83.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $84.99 per month with the first two months at $94.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $159.99 per month.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch 2024 solar eclipse with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com‘s packages page
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for NBC and start watching 2024 solar eclipse
Best Free Trial Pick to Watch 2024 solar eclipse: Fubo’s Free Trial
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch 2024 solar eclipse live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers two plans: Pro, which costs $79.99 per month; and Elite, which costs $89.99 per month.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch 2024 solar eclipse with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for NBC and start watching 2024 solar eclipse
Best Budget Pick to Watch 2024 solar eclipse: Peacock
Peacock is our best budget pick to watch 2024 solar eclipse live for its price. Peacock offers two plans: Peacock Premium for $5.99 per month, and Peacock Premium Plus costs $11.99 per month.
As for the differences between the plans, Peacock Premium offers more than 80,000 hours of TV shows and movies including NBC and Peacock originals; live sports and events; current episodes of NBC and Bravo shows; and 50 live channels. Peacock Premium Plus offers everything included in Peacock Premium, as well as no ads; the ability to download and watch select titles offline; and 24/7 live access to your local NBC channel. To watch the 2024 solar eclipse live, fans will need Peacock Premium Plus. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the 2024 solar eclipse with Peacock.
- Visit PeacockTV.com
- Click “Get Started”
- Select your plan
- Enter your information and payment method
- Navigate to NBC and start watching 2024 solar eclipse
Best Upgrade Pick to Watch 2024 solar eclipse: Hulu+ Live TV
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch 2024 solar eclipse based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $68.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $69.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $74.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch 2024 solar eclipse with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for NBC and start watching 2024 solar eclipse
