Finding exactly where to watch America's Got Talent shouldn't feel like you’re trying to solve a Rubik's Cube while blindfolded. Honestly, it’s one of those things that seems simple until you're sitting on your couch at 8:01 PM on a Tuesday, frantically scrolling through six different apps because the live stream isn't where you thought it was.
The show is a massive beast. It’s been on since 2006, and as we hit the 2026 season—which marks a pretty wild 20-year anniversary for the franchise—the way we consume it has shifted. You’ve got the old-school broadcast folks, the "I'll wait until tomorrow on Peacock" crowd, and the cord-cutters who rely on YouTube TV or Fubo.
Basically, if you want to see the next Jessica Sanchez or Richard Goodall (the middle-school janitor who absolutely crushed it last year), you need a plan. Here is the actual, no-nonsense breakdown of how to catch every "X" and every standing ovation.
Where to Watch America's Got Talent: The Live Options
If you’re the kind of person who needs to vote in real-time or you just can’t handle spoilers on TikTok, watching live is the only way to go.
NBC is the mothership. It always has been. If you have a digital antenna—yes, those still exist and they’re actually great—you can pull the signal out of the air for free. Most major markets broadcast the show at 8/7c on Tuesdays.
But what if you don't have a literal wire plugged into your wall?
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You’ve got options. Live TV streaming services are the go-to for most of us now. You can find NBC on:
- YouTube TV: Usually the most reliable for local NBC affiliates.
- Hulu + Live TV: Great because it bundles the streaming library too.
- FuboTV: Heavily marketed toward sports fans, but it carries the local broadcast networks.
- DirecTV Stream: Pricey, but it’s basically cable without the satellite dish.
Just a heads up: some of these services have "blackout" rules or might carry a different local affiliate than you expect. It's smart to check your zip code on their websites before you drop seventy bucks a month.
Catching Up on Peacock and Streaming
Peacock is essentially the official home for everything under the NBCUniversal umbrella. If you missed the live broadcast because you were working late or, let's be real, you forgot it was Tuesday, this is where you go.
New episodes of America's Got Talent typically drop on Peacock the very next morning. Usually, they're live by 6:00 AM ET.
I’ve noticed a lot of people getting confused about the tiers. You generally need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus subscription to watch the current season. The "free" version of Peacock has become pretty limited lately, mostly offering older seasons or "highlight" clips rather than full, fresh episodes. If you want the full experience without the cliffhangers being ruined by a push notification, the $7.99/month (or whatever the current 2026 rate is) is kinda necessary.
What about Hulu?
This is where it gets slightly annoying. For years, AGT was a staple on Hulu the next day. However, since NBCUniversal moved their content almost exclusively to Peacock, the regular "Next Day" episodes on basic Hulu aren't really a thing anymore. If you have Hulu + Live TV, you can watch it live or record it to your cloud DVR. But if you just have the $15-a-month Hulu plan? You're likely out of luck for the newest episodes.
Watching Globally and Using the AGT App
If you’re reading this from outside the States, things get a bit more "cloak and dagger." In the UK, you’ll often find AGT on Sky or the NOW streaming service, though the episodes usually lag a few days behind the US release.
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For the superfans, the Official America's Got Talent App is actually worth the storage space on your phone. It doesn't let you watch the full episodes—don't let the marketing fool you—but it is the primary way to:
- Cast your votes during the live shows.
- Save your favorite acts on results nights.
- Play along with your own "buzzer" (my kids love this, my ears do not).
Don't Forget the YouTube Highlights
Maybe you don't have two hours to spare. I get it. The show is long, and there is a lot of "fluff" between the actual acts.
The America's Got Talent YouTube channel is incredibly efficient. Within minutes of an act finishing on TV, they usually have the high-definition clip uploaded. If you just want to see the Golden Buzzer moment that everyone is crying about on Facebook, YouTube is the fastest way to find it.
Why the 2026 Season is Different
Since it's the 20th anniversary, NBC has been leaning hard into nostalgia. We're seeing more "where are they now" segments and guest appearances from past winners. This means the runtime has been pushing the two-hour mark more consistently. If you're DVRing the show, always add an extra 15 minutes to the recording end time. There is nothing worse than the recording cutting off right as Terry Crews is about to announce who’s going home.
To make sure you're ready for the next episode, check your local NBC listing or log into Peacock to see the exact countdown. If you're planning to vote, make sure your NBCUniversal profile is set up in the app at least a day before the live shows start—trying to do it during a 3-minute commercial break is a recipe for stress.
The simplest way to keep track of where to watch America's Got Talent right now is to stick with Peacock for on-demand and YouTube TV for live. It covers all the bases.
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Check your Peacock subscription status tonight so you don't have to deal with a "password forgotten" crisis right when the show starts. Then, download the AGT app and make sure your notifications are on for the voting windows—those 20th-anniversary stakes are higher than ever.