How to watch Tony Awards 2021 online

Audra McDonald presents at the Tony Awards
(Image credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

The bright lights of Broadway are shining tonight when you watch the Tony Awards 2021 online — and you're going to need that online connection to watch the whole show this year. The theater industry is undergoing a revival after productions closed down during the pandemic. But now, Broadway's back — and the show must go on.

Tony Awards channel, start time

The 74th Annual Tony Awards will broadcast and stream at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT today (Sunday, Sept. 26) on Paramount Plus.
But that's just half the show, the first segment is followed by The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back! at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, and it's simulcast on both CBS and Paramount Plus.

Tony winner Audra McDonald will host the two-hour ceremony from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It will feature the bulk of the awards and stream exclusively on Paramount Plus.

Then, Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. takes over emceeing duties for The Tony Awards Presents: Broadway's Back! It will include special performances from the Tony nominees for Best Musical: Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. The special will also have the live presentation of the three top categories: Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical.

Viewers can also expect performances by David Byrne and the cast of American Utopia,  John Legend and the cast of Ain't Too Proud, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Freestyle Love Supreme, as well as a reunion of the cast members of Hairspray.

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Tony Awards 2021 online tonight.

How to watch Tony Awards 2021 live stream from anywhere

Just because Paramount Plus and CBS aren't available everywhere doesn't mean you can't watch the Tony Awards 2021 if you're away from home. Watching the show along with the rest of the internet can be pretty easy with the right VPN (virtual private network). You can stream the show from wherever you go.

We've evaluated many VPN services, and our top pick is ExpressVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. It's also affordable at $12.95 per month. (Signing up for longer periods of six months or a year reduces the cost even more.)

ExpressVPN

We think speed, security and simplicity make <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Foffer%2Ftomsguide%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we're impressed by the service's ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied.

How to watch Tony Awards 2021 in the US

In the U.S., theater lovers can watch the Tony Awards 2021 today (Sunday, September 26) at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount Plus to all subscribers.

The two-hour ceremony will be followed by The Tony Awards Presents: Broadway's Back! at 9 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount Plus Premium. 

CBS is a local broadcast network that can accessed with one of the best TV antennas or through a cable TV package.

If you've already cut the cord and don't have cable, you can watch CBS on a live TV service, like FuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream. Of these options, we recommend FuboTV, one of the best streaming services on the market.

You can also watch your local CBS station's live feed on Paramount Plus with a Premium subscription. 

Paramount Plus

<a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/221109/175360/3065?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2F" data-link-merchant="paramountplus.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Paramount Plus has your local CBS station's live feed with a premium plan. All subscribers get access to a deep library includes Survivor and Big Brother episodes, as well as originals like Star Trek: Picard, The Good Fight and the iCarly revival. 

Fubo.TVa 7-day free trial

<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=366904&irmp=221109&subId1=hawk-custom-tracking" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Fubo.TV is one of the best live TV services with CBS. The streamer all of the local broadcast networks and most of the top cable channels. Who needs cable? Not Fubo subscribers. And it's got <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=366904&irmp=221109&subId1=hawk-custom-tracking" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front.

How to watch Tony Awards 2021 in Canada

Canadians are in luck — Paramount Plus is available in Canada, so they can watch the Tony Awards 2021 with a subscription.

How to watch Tony Awards 2021 in the UK

Bad news for Brits. It doesn't look like any UK channels are broadcasting the Tony Awards 2021. 

For travelers who are abroad, ExpressVPN can help you access the streaming services you already subscribe to.

Kelly Woo
Streaming Editor

Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.