How to the watch the US presidential inauguration

The inauguration of Donald J. Trump as 45th President of the United States is over now, but you can watch a replay of the day's events thanks to The White House's YouTube channel:

Inauguration Day is a historic event, one that only takes place every four years. It's filled with pomp and ceremony, and coupled with Trump's divisive personality, should make for must-see viewing around the globe.

Attending the Washington D.C.-based inauguration in person is a costly and time-intensive endeavor for most, but those who want to watch the swearing-in of the President-elect as well as Vice President-elect Mike Pence can still do so from the relative comfort of home.

Here's a look at the inaugural proceedings scheduled for today, followed by more ways to tune in, no matter where you live. 

Inauguration Day time and schedule

Inauguration Day is today, January 20, and starts at 6am PST/9am EST/2pm GMT/12am AEDT Saturday. Musical performances are scheduled to start a half hour later, leading into opening remarks and Pence's swearing in around 8:30am PST/11:30am EST/4:30pm GMT/2:30am AEDT Saturday.

The heart of the inauguration takes place at 9am PST/12pm EST/5pm GMT/3am AEDT Saturday, when Trump is sworn in, taking the Oath of Office and delivering his inaugural address on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol building. 

Afterwards is the inaugural parade and ball - relaxed events that may contrast greatly with the massive number of protests, counter-events, and demonstrations expected to take place in the US capital city and around the nation that day.

How to watch the inauguration on TV and online

A historic event in US history, it'll be tough not to see the ceremonies unfold in the United States, with American public service channel C-SPAN airing coverage of the event all day, starting at 4am PST/7am EST/12pm GMT/10pm AEDT. And we mean all day - the channel will stay locked on inauguration proceedings for 13 straight hours.

NBC airs its own coverage of the inauguration starting at 7am PST/10am EST/3pm GST/1am AEDT, which will be available on its website, YouTube channel, plus the NBC app for Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV.

Fox News is streaming the event via its app and website. Anchor Shepard Smith kicks off the broadcast at 8am PST/11am EST/4pm GMT/2am AEDT.

CBS isn't sleeping in, matching C-SPAN's early worm hours with its own livestream beginning at 4am PST/7am EST/12pm GMT/10pm AEDT.

Image credit: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia

Image credit: Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia

Politico will broadcast the inauguration on its website, complete with a timer counting down the hours before the President-elect takes oath.

Democracy Now! airs its special report live in Washington, D.C. with hosts Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh, starting at 5am PST/8am EST/1pm GMT/11pm AEDT.

USA Today is putting a different spin on the day's proceeding, airing a special 360-degree VR view of the inauguration starting at 6:30am PST/9:30am EST/2:30pm GMT/12:30am AEDT via YouTube.

YouTube is the home for a wide selection of live broadcasts, including Telemundo, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Politics, and ABC airing their own coverage on the inauguration. 

Finally, the The White House, naturally, is livestreaming Inauguration Day via its official website and on YouTube.

How to watch the inauguration on Twitter

For those without access to TV programming from the states (or a TV at all), PBS NewsHour will stream the inauguration starting at 8am PST/11am EST/4pm GMT/2am AEDT Saturday via the President-elect's favorite platform, Twitter

NewsHour managing editor Judy Woodruff, alongside correspondents John Yang and Lisa Desjardins, will anchor programming on the social media platform. Note that you don't need to log in or sign up for a Twitter account to take in the livestream.

How to watch the inauguration outside the US

In the UK, the BBC is your best bet to watch Inauguration Day coverage. BBC1 is airing live coverage from Capitol Hill from 4pm - 6pm GMT. Former Washington D.C. correspondent Katty Kay is anchoring the program. 

More coverage will be on offer on the BBC News channel from 3pm - 7pm GMT. You can also tune in online via BBC iPlayer as well as follow along with the BBC on Twitter.

In Australia, ABC News 24 will cover the event during the program "Planet America" at 3am AEDT on Saturday, January 21, so see about brewing some coffee if you plan to be up that early/late.

Top image credit: White House photo by Paul Morse

Parker Wilhelm
Parker Wilhelm is a freelance writer for TechRadar. He likes to tinker in Photoshop and talk people's ears off about Persona 4.
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