How to watch American Song Contest online: stream the Eurovision-inspired series from anywhere
It’s state vs state in this live 8-week music competition
Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson host the American Song Contest, this new Eurovision-inspired music competition, in which 56 acts, each representing an American state or territory, go head-to-head for the title of Best Original Song. We’re beyond excited for this musical medley, and our guide below details how you can watch American Song Contest online.
Premiere: Monday, March 21 at 8pm ET/PT
New episodes: weekly every Monday until May 9
Stream live: NBC via Sling TV with a $10 discount
Watch from anywhere: with a 100% risk-free VPN
Launched in 1956, Eurovision has each European country nominate an act to represent them, with fans and industry experts then voting for their favorite song in the competition.
Similarly, American Song Contest will pit all 50 American states, territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, and Washington D.C. against each other in a nationwide sing-off, with every region represented by a solo artist, duo, band, or DJ.
And, given the rules don’t preclude having a record contract, relative unknowns will square off for the top spot against Grammy-winning artists like Macy Gray and Michael Bolton, in addition to Sisqó, the singer-songwriter behind "Thong Song" who'll be bringing the heat for Maryland.
It might just be bigger than the Super Bowl. So, get ready to whoop and holler as we explain below how to watch American Song Contest online and from anywhere.
How to watch American Song Contest online FREE in the US
NBC’s much-anticipated reality TV music competition lands on Monday, March 21, with a two-hour long premiere episode on cable channel, NBC at 8pm ET/PT (7pm CT).
Episode 1 is the first of five Qualifying rounds. The Semi Final episodes start in Week 6, while the Grand Finale will air on May 9.
If you’ve ditched cable and want an OTT option, then Sling TV is ideal. Not only will you be able to get a live NBC stream (in select markets) with the Sing Blue plan, but new customers can enjoy a $10 discount on their first month.
If you can wait a few hours to watch, then NBC's Peacock streaming service provides even better value. It's just $4.99 a month for the ad-supported plan.
Another reason to subscribe to Peacock? It’s has exclusive live streaming rights to Eurovision 2022 on May 12... just a few days after the ASC finale.
- Related: how to watch Peacock from outside the US with a VPN
How to watch American Song Contest online outside your country
Backpacking around Europe or on a family vacation outside of the States? Chances are you’ll encounter geo-blocking restrictions when trying to access your local VOD service. That means you won’t be able to stream any American Song Contest episodes online via Sling or Peacock.
Luckily, the best VPN – otherwise known as a virtual private network – provides a simple solution. It alters your IP address to make it appear like you’re somewhere else. While this can be used for privacy, it can also be used to access your preferred streaming platform back home, even when you're out of the country.
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Use a VPN to watch American Song Contest online from anywhere
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How to watch American Song Contest online in Canada
Canadian viewers can watch the song battle unfold from Monday, March 21 at 8pm on virtual channel CHCH-DT. It’s free to view and luckily doesn’t require any cable login details, either.
Outside of Canada? You’ll need to download a VPN to connect to your streaming service. This way you can watch American Song Contest no matter where you are in the world.
How can I watch American Song Contest in the rest of the world?
In addition to Canada, a number of European countries will broadcast American Song Contest…and rightly so, given the series’ heritage!
- Austria and Germany - ServusTV (from March 29 at 10pm)
- Finland - Yle TV2 (from March 22)
- Greece - ERT
- Iceland - RÚV (from March 22)
- Norway - NRK
- Portugal - RTP
- Serbia - RTS
- Spain - RTVE Play
- Sweden - SVT
Sadly, there’s no word about broadcast options in the UK or Australia currently. We’d hazard a guess that, now Peacock content is available to Sky TV and to Now customers (with the Entertainment pass), episodes of American Song Contest should be available in the UK at some point.
Meanwhile, Peacock series tend to find themselves a home on Australian service Stan, so keep an eye out here for the new reality TV competition if you're located Down Under.
As we’ve already mentioned, jet-setters will probably want to purchase a VPN to keep up with American Song Contest. That way you know if you've earned bragging rights by your home state winning America's Best Original Song!
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Who are the participants for this year's American Song Contest?
An impressive 56 contestants will compete to win Best Original Song. In addition to this interactive list detailing each act and which state or territory they represent, below are some of the contestants due to take part:
Tenelle, American Samoa. Her 2017 album For the Lovers placed high in the Billboard charts.
Riker Lynch, Colorado. Former Glee star whose music blurs the lines between rock, reggae, pop and more.
Broderick Jones, Kansas. Known for his smooth vocals, he gained widespread popularity after 2014 debut Cuddle, and his performances have attracted more than 35 million streams.
Broderick Jones, Kansas. Known for his smooth vocals, he gained widespread popularity after 2014 debut Cuddle, and his performances have attracted more than 35 million streams.
The Crystal Method, Nevada. The electronic music pioneer will be representing Nevada.
Macy Gray, Ohio. The Grammy-winning artist best known for her hit 1999 single ‘I Try’, and her album On How Life Is became triple platinum in the US.
Brittany Pfantz, Louisiana. Mixing Louisiana swamp, rock, gospel and soul, her music is heady like the streets of New Orleans.
ENISA, New York. Her sound combines contemporary soul pop with Middle Eastern flourishes. She is best known for her singles Burn This Bridge, Love Cycle, and Count My Blessings.
Judd Hoos, South Dakota. An independent rock band from the Black Hills, who’s single Breathe In charted at number 23 on the iTunes new rock single releases.
Michael Bolton, Connecticut. The singer-songwriter has sold over 75 million records and is known for hits like Soul Provider and his 1991 cover, When a Man Loves a Woman.
Daniel Pateman is a freelance writer, producing articles across the cultural spectrum for magazines like Aesthetica, Photomonitor, The Brooklyn Rail and This is Tomorrow. He also provides text-writing services to individual curators and artists worldwide, and has had work published internationally. His favourite film genre is horror (bring on Scream 5!) and he never tires of listening to Absolute 80s on the radio.