Apple recently updated the iOS and tvOS App Stores with a collection of apps that will be able to live stream tonight's first presidential debate, airing at 9PM eastern at Hofstra University. The debate between presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump marks the beginning of the seven week final stretch between the first debate and election day on November 8. There will be three presidential debates in total, and one vice presidential debate.

On both App Stores, Apple's "Watch the Debate Live" section contains a few of the same apps. For iOS, top billing goes to major social networks Twitter and Facebook, and then news outlets CBS News and ABC News. Twitter recently launched a live streaming tvOS app, so it's also first on the Apple TV app store, followed by CBS News, ABC News, Washington Post Video, Reuters TV, and more.

presidential-debate-app-store

    Watch the Debate Live on iOS:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • CBS News
  • ABC News
  • The Washington Post
  • Reuters TV
  • NBC News
  • CNN
  • Fox News
  • YouTube
  • Univision NOW
  • MSNBC

    Watch the Debate Live on tvOS:

  • Twitter
  • CBS News
  • ABC News
  • Washington Post Video
  • Reuters TV
  • NBC News
  • Bloomberg TV
  • CNNgo
  • Fox News
  • YouTube

For those with a cable subscription, Wired reported that all three upcoming presidential debates will be broadcast simultaneously across most major networks and cable channels: ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, Univision, and C-SPAN.

Earlier in the month, the Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed that both Facebook and Snapchat will be covering each debate to provide content for users of both social networks. Users can comment and ask questions on Facebook Live videos, and follow along to Snapchat's Live Stories "from the different perspectives of students from the debate host universities, volunteers, media and many others."

Although not included in Apple's collection of apps, other streamable services will support debate coverage, including: BuzzFeed News, Hulu, PBS, Yahoo, and more.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Top Rated Comments

ArtOfWarfare Avatar
120 months ago
The candidate I'm voting for won't be present, so I see no point in watching.

#LetGaryDebate

Just to respond to anyone who wants to yell at me about voting third party in advance:

#1 - It is possible for third party candidates to win, as long as they run between the major parties. Ross Perot handed the 1992 election to Bill Clinton because he was running on the right. He stole votes exclusively from Bush Senior. Ralph Nader similarly handed the 2000 election to Bush Junior because he was running on the left, exclusively stealing votes from Al Gore.

Gary Johnson is running down the middle, stealing votes equally from both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. He easily leads with independent voters (AKA, swing voters, the people who decide elections), voters under the age of 30, and veterans.

If you want to vote for him, but are afraid you'd be handing the election to <insert name of candidate you hate most>, go to http://balancedrebellion.com/ - They'll match you up with someone who hates <your lesser of two evils> from the same state you live in. Both of you then pledge to vote for the candidate you most like, knowing that you haven't handed the election to anyone, because you nullified a vote for that person.

#2 - Gary Johnson doesn't have to sweep the map. If he wins a single state, it becomes difficult for either of the other candidate to reach 270 electoral votes. In that case, Congress determines who wins the election. Republicans control both houses by a small majority, but many have already said they back Johnson, not Trump. Thus the anti-Trump Republicans can cooperate with Democrats (who unanimously despise Trump) to hand the presidency to Johnson.

#3 - The presidential debates are controlled by a board of 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats. They set arbitrary rules for what it takes to be in the debates. In 1992, they said you only needed to have 5% support in national polls to be in the debate. Ross Perot had 6% so qualified. By the time of the election, he won with 19%, largely because the extra exposure from the debates gave him a huge boost in those final 2 months.

This year, Johnson has 13% support before the debates. So the threshold was arbitrarily moved up to 15% to exclude him. Had he been in the debates and received a boost similar to Perot's, it's reasonable to think his support would have gone to between 26% and 40%, potentially giving him the plurality.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
120 months ago
No thanks. Apple has proven its bias against other candidates in the past. I'd rather find a source ran by grown-ups that may or may not like all candidates but won't actively run a bias.
All the outlets are literally showing the exact same debate, how is bias possible?

And Fox News is listed there, your point is invalid
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Deadman64 Avatar
120 months ago
Would love to see a 3 person debate, I think it would make things really interesting.

#letgarydebate
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2010mini Avatar
120 months ago
Thanks, but no thanks. These two for me are Trump: Nope. Hillary:Noper
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lord Hamsa Avatar
120 months ago
I'm going to find a dumpster, light it on fire, and watch.

It'll be more entertaining and more informative than what's going to be on TV tonight.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Agent OrangeZ Avatar
120 months ago
If you believe in a 2 party system.... this election is like choosing between a colonoscopy or a root canal.

#LetGaryDebate
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
ipados 26 1 slide over

Apple Releases iPadOS 26.2 With Multitasking Improvements

Friday December 12, 2025 10:09 am PST by
Apple today released iPadOS 26.2, the second major update to the iPadOS 26 operating system released in September. iPadOS 26.2 comes a month after iPadOS 26.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. iPadOS 26.2 continues with the multitasking improvements that were added with iPadOS 26.1. You can now drag and...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Update Now: iOS 26.2 Fixes 20+ Security Vulnerabilities

Friday December 12, 2025 11:11 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, and macOS 26.2, all of which introduce new features, bug fixes, and security improvements. Apple says that the updates address over 20 vulnerabilities, including two bugs that are known to have been actively exploited. There are a pair of WebKit vulnerabilities that could allow maliciously crafted web content to execute code or cause memory...