The first presidential debate is coming early this election season, and if that's how you want to spend your Thursday night, finding a broadcast or a livestream will be easy.
Starting with the early start to debate season — before either President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump are formally nominated by their parties — Thursday's event will break from the norm in several ways.
Among them: the CNN-run debate will have two commercial breaks in the 90-minute program. There will be no live audience. And each candidate will be muted when it's their opponent's turn to speak.
Here are the rest of the details for tuning in:
What time does the debate start?
Thursday's debate begins at 8 p.m. central time from CNN's studios in Atlanta. The network's anchors, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will moderate.
Where can you watch the debate?
CNN will air the debate live on its platforms — CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, Max and CNN.com — but has also agreed to simulcast the event on ABC, NBC, CBS, C-SPAN, MSNBC, Fox News, Hulu, theGrio, Noticias Telemundo, PBS and Scripps News, according to media reports.
Many of those platforms will broadcast the debate on television and stream it for its online counterparts, some through YouTube.
Who's throwing a watch party?
The Minneapolis DFL is hosting a watch party at Stub and Herbs, 227 SE. Oak St. in Minneapolis. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The Republican Party in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District is hosting a watch party at the Cinema Grill, 2749 Winnetka Av. N. in New Hope. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
When is the second debate?
Biden and Trump will hold a second and final debate, hosted by ABC, on Sept. 10.
