ABC to live stream the Oscars via its iOS ‘Watch’ app this Sunday

MTO Opening

ABC has said that it is going to stream the complete Academy Awards ceremony this Sunday to mobile phones. The network has long offered highlights of the event on mobile, but this is the first time it’ll stream the event live.

The feed will be funneled through the ‘Watch ABC’ app, which means that if you have it installed on an iOS device and meet the requirements, you’ll be able to catch the show. Unfortunately, the requirements are pretty stringent…

For starters, the Watch ABC app requires that you have a cable subscription to watch live broadcasts. Viewing on-demand content is free, but for live streams, you have to be a subscriber at one of ABC’s cable provider partners.

Even worse, since Watch ABC isn’t available nationwide, the Oscars will only be streamed in select cities. Those cities include Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, and San Francisco.

The good news is, if you’re not in one of those markets, Watch ABC will still offer a behind-the-scenes look at everything that’s happening backstage and on the red carpet. Highlights of the show will also be available at Oscars.com.

The entire situation underscores the complexities of live TV broadcasts, and the obstacles Apple has been running into trying to move into the living room. At any rate, if you’re interested, the Watch ABC app is free in the App Store.