CMA Awards Channel: Where to Watch

The 54th Annual CMA Awards air live on Wednesday, Nov. 11 on ABC. The award show will be hosted on the ABC network for broadcast and cable viewers, and there are plenty of other options for those that would rather stream the broadcast. If you plan to catch it live, it begins at 8 p.m. ET.

The CMAs can be streamed live on the ABC app, which is available on mobile devices, computers, video game consoles and some streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV and Roku players. Typically, live TV is locked on the streaming app and is only available for those with a valid cable log-in, so if you do not have a cable subscription you may not be able to catch the show live. Some “skinny TV” services stream the ABC broadcast live as well, such as Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV or YouTube TV, but ABC has not specified whether the CMAs will be available on these services, so it would be best not to count on it.

Another option to consider is catching the CMA broadcast live with a TV antenna rather than a cable package. These days, HD antennas are affordable, low-profile and a great way for cable-cutters to see live events without paying a huge subscription. They can be affixed to a window to catch the signal from nearby TV stations, and can even be hooked up to DVR-like devices such as the Amazon ReCast.

The CMAs will be preceded by a dearth of pre-show coverage as well, highlighting the red carpet appearances and speculating on who will take home the trophies. ABC News will feature pre-show coverage starting at 6 p.m. ET, and a half-hour “On the Red Carpet” special will broadcast from local ABC stations at 6:30 p.m. ET.

However you watch, the 2020 CMAs are sure to be a must-see event for country music fans — especially during the coronavirus pandemic, with its shortage of live TV events. The award show will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Music City Center, which has been outfitted to accommodate COVID-19 safety precautions. Though there will be no live audience, the nominees and performers will be on hand, along with co-hosts Darius Rucker and Reba McEntire.

There are some huge performances scheduled for the CMAs this year, including Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs and Maren Morris. Others include Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Chris Stapleton, Jon Pardi, Dan + Shay and Rascal Flatts. Other artists are mixing and matching band line-ups to accommodate special duets and collaborations just for the occasion.

The CMAs begin on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET. Watch them live on ABC or on the ABC app.