How To Stream The Democratic Debate Online

Things are heating up in the Democratic race for president, as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders appears to be giving former secretary of state Hillary Clinton a run for her money in key primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire. On Sunday night, all three remaining Democratic candidates — Sanders, Clinton, and former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley — will have the chance to win over primary voters when they take the stage in another key state, South Carolina. To avoid missing out on the action, you can stream the Democratic debate online, on a mobile device, or on pretty much any other non-cable platform.

The Democratic debate will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time in Charleston, South Carolina, the site of 2016's first Republican debate earlier this week. Charleston has become an epicenter of focus throughout the campaign on both sides not just because of the ever-important South Carolina primary, but also because of the devastating flooding that occurred in the area last fall and the tragic mass shooting that occurred at a historically black church in the summer. On Sunday night, the candidates will almost certainly have to address issues relevant to Charleston, including gun violence. What's more, this will be the last opportunity for the candidates to debate in front of a national audience before both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary.

Sunday's debate is being organized by NBC and YouTube — and yes, the debate will stream live on YouTube. To watch the debate without cable, you can stream it live via the NBC News website or the NBC News YouTube channel. NBC News will also stream the debate on its Android app, iOS app, and Amazon app, as well as on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. If you do have cable, all you have to do is turn on your local NBC affiliate station. Basically, you have no excuse not to watch this debate.

When you watch the debate, you're likely to see a no-holds-barred discussion of the issues facing the candidates and the country. There's certainly plenty for them to talk about. In the last week, the president gave his final State of the Union, the Republican candidates had a debate of their own, and tensions with Iran have been in flux as American sailors were detained and released. Over the weekend, Iran also released four American prisoners.

In the midst of all the other news, the gap between Clinton and Sanders seems to be disappearing, at least in some states. Recent polls have put Sanders within three points of Clinton in Iowa and ahead of her in New Hampshire. Nationally, though, Sanders still has a lot of work to do. Perhaps he'll do some of it on the debate stage Sunday night.