How to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online from anywhere

Live action meets animation in this two-hour special in celebration of the classic film that was, once upon a time, Disney's biggest animated hit. Starring Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson aka H.E.R. as Belle, Josh Groban as the Beast, Joshua Henry as Gaston and Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts (impressed much?), read on as we explain how to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online from anywhere.

Beauty and the Beast was actually released 31 years ago, but it was in 1992 that it became the first animated film in history to win a Golden Globe award for best motion picture, and to be in the running for the best picture Oscar. Like Gaston's automated woodchipper, it was a game-changer.

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration promises to pay homage to the original film and the Broadway adaptation, while applying a sprinkle of modern touches (hopefully more successfully than the 2017 live-action remake). The original songs will, of course, still be central to the production, and will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios.

Oh, and did we mention that Martin Short is playing Lumière? You'll also want to keep your eyes peeled for a few special guest appearances from some of the original cast members. Follow our guide for full details on how to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online from anywhere.

How to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online in the US without cable

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration premieres on TV at 8pm ET/PT on Thursday, December 15 on ABC.

If you don’t have cable, don't worry. You're spoilt for choice with ways to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration in the US.

Watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration without cable

Over-the-top streaming service fuboTV includes ABC in its entry-level Pro plan comprising way over 100 channels for $69.99 a month. That's after you’ve enjoyed the FREE fuboTV trial.

If you're prepared to avoid spoilers for a few hours, another option is Disney Plus. Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration lands on the streaming service at 12am PT / 3am ET on Friday, December 16.

A standard Disney Plus subscription costs $7.99 per month, but you can make your money go further with the Disney Bundle, which costs $12.99 per month and provides access to ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu under one cut-price subscription.

In addition to being the home of Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration and Disney’s huge back catalog – yes, that includes the original Beauty and the Beast – Disney Plus also gives you access to the entire Star Wars canon, plus all things Fox, Pixar, and National Geographic.

How to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online from outside your country

If you're abroad when Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration airs, you won't be able to tune in because of annoying regional restrictions.

Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Downloading a VPN service will allow you to stream Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online from anywhere. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration from abroad

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How to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online in Canada

Disney fans in Canada can watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration on CBC, with the special set to air at 8pm ET/PT on Thursday, December 15.

That means you'll be able to stream Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration on CBC Gem, which costs $4.99 a month and comes with a 30-day free trial. That said, you can watch some content with ads without an account.

However, unlike in the US, it isn't clear when the show will come to Disney Plus in Canada.

Away from Canada, but want to watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration? You can subscribe to a VPN to by-pass geo-restrictions and access your preferred streaming service.

Can I watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online in the UK?

There's no word yet on when Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration will arrive in the UK, though we're hoping that we'll find out soon enough. It's likely that when it does land, it'll be exclusive to Disney Plus, but nothing's confirmed yet.

Can I watch Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration online in Australia?

It's the same situation Down Under, where at the time of writing there's no official word on a release date or TV channel for Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration in Australia.