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How To Watch The Inauguration On Apple TV

by Lara Rutherford-Morrison
DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images

On January 20, Inauguration Day, Donald Trump will take the presidential oath of office and officially begin his presidency. If you’re a cord cutter, you may be wondering how to watch the inauguration on Apple TV. Don’t worry — you’ll have plenty of options for viewing the ceremony. Regardless of how you feel about the election, there’s no denying that the inauguration — signaling a peaceful transfer of power — is a cornerstone of the United States’ government, and is worth watching for that reason. (Though if you decide that you want to spend Inauguration Day streaming old episodes of Top Chef and pretending that it’s 2012, that’s a perfectly valid use of your Apple TV, too).

Inauguration Day is a big deal, and, as such, it will be covered by all major news outlets, which will undoubtedly cover, in detail, everything from the oaths of office and inaugural address to people protesting the new government. With Apple TV, you have access to a variety of broadcast TV network news apps, including ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, CNN, PBS, and FOX News. (A number of these, including ABC News, CBS News, and PBS, come pre-installed on Apple TV, while others, like NBC News, can be downloaded for free.) Which news outlet you choose will depend on your personal preferences and whether or not you currently have a TV subscription.

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Some news apps for Apple TV, including CNN and Fox News Go, require that you login with your TV subscription info. If you don’t have a TV subscription, you still have good options: With the ABC News and CBS News apps, you don’t even need to create an account to stream live content, while others, including PBS, are free but require activation.

You can also stream inauguration coverage on Apple TV via the YouTube app. Many major news organizations stream live news coverage through YouTube, as well as YouTube itself and other news sources like Bloomberg. According to Lifewire, the White House also traditionally streams inaugurations on its YouTube channel.

Even if you've given up your TV subscription, you'll still have plenty of ways to watch the inauguration live. And however you might feel about the new president, between massive protests and controversies about inauguration performances, Inauguration Day certainly won't be boring.