How to Watch the 2024 Paralympic Games: All the Ways to Stream the Games Online Free

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Although it’s been nearly a month since the Summer Olympics 2024 concluded with its Closing Ceremony, the 2024 Paralympic Games is set to begin, with more than 4,400 athletes from all around the world gathering in Paris.

The Paralympic Games’ Opening Ceremony takes place at the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées. Check out a complete schedule of the events here.

watch Paralympic Games on Peacock

When Do the Paralympic Games Start?

The Paralympic Games start on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. It ends on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, or during NBC’s primetime coverage at 9 p.m. ET/PT, daily.

Men’s and women’s Paralympic events are available to watch live and stream on-demand. The events broadcast across NBC, USA Network and CNBC, as well as streaming on the streaming service Peacock.

How to Watch Paralympic Games on Peacock

Can you stream the Paralympic Games on Peacock? Yes, Peacock goes for $7.99 per month for the Premium plan and $13.99 per month for the Premium Plus plan — both plans include coverage of all events.

Unfortunately, Peacock isn’t offering any deals at the moment, but you can get a discount if you subscribe to the annual plan starting at $79.99 per year (12 months for the price of 10). The streaming service also has discounts for students and teachers with prices starting at $1.99 per month.

watch Paralympic Games on Peacock

Where to Watch the Paralympic Games for Free

If you’re a cord-cutter, then there are a number of ways to watch the Paralympics without cable — especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while others such as Fubo and Hulu + Live TV offer free trials too. This is a good way to watch E! and NBC without spending money up front.

Keep reading for more details on how to watch Paralympic Games on NBC, USA Network and CNBC with DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and others.

How to Watch Paralympic Games on DirecTV Stream

A subscription to DirecTV Stream gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $49.99 per month with the streamer’s current deals. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.

You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and PBS, while you can also watch cable networks including E!, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, Cartoon Network, ESPN, FS1, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, Lifetime, CNBC, BET, MTV, Paramount Network and many others.

Watch Paralympic Games with Directv Stream

How to Watch Paralympic Games on Fubo

Fubo starts at $79.99 per month with nearly 200 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a seven-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.

The services gets you live access to local broadcast networks including NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as E!, FX, Bravo, TLC, ESPN, FS1, MTV, CMT, ID, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1 and much more.

WATCH Paralympic Games WITH FUBO

How to Watch Paralympic Games on Hulu + Live TV

The networks NBC, USA Network and CNBC are available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $76.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.

Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one package. It also features many other networks, like E!, CBS, ABC, Fox, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, ESPN, Hallmark Channel and more.

watch Paralympic Games with Hulu + Live TV

More Ways to Watch

Viewers who want to stream the Paralympics internationally can use ExpressVPN, NordVPN and PureVPN to access several streaming platforms.

Meanwhile, if you’re an Xfinity subscriber, you can also save on Peacock. Subscribers to Xfinity’s StreamSaver and Internet plan and watch Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+ bundled together for $35 per month. In addition, Xfinity Diamond and Platinum rewards members can get Peacock free of charge via rewards points.

Paralympic Games broadcasts on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC starting on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Peacock and DirecTV Stream are the best ways to watch the event.

watch Paralympic Games on Peacock

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

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Watch Luke Bryan Honor Toby Keith by Performing One of His Hits During NBC Tribute Special

Luke Bryan was among the dozens of country artists honoring the late Toby Keith during a Nashville taping at Bridgestone Arena in July as part of the two-hour NBC concert special Toby Keith: American Icon, which will air Wednesday (Aug. 28) from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT, and Billboard has an exclusive look at the performance before it airs.

For his tribute, two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Bryan donned a cowboy hat that had been given to him by his sister (who passed away in 2007) as he delivered Keith’s debut hit, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” 

“This hat has been hanging in my closet for probably 15 years,” Bryan said prior to the performance, recalling his pre-Nashville years when he was playing bars in his home state of Georgia and performing “about 10 Toby Keith songs a night.” “I used to wear this hat every night, and ever since I lost my sister, I hadn’t put this hat [on] onstage in a lot of years. I was walkin’ out the house, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m just an old country boy from Georgia, but Toby Keith certainly made me want to be a cowboy.’ I’m going to be a cowboy tonight … This is for you, Toby.”

“Should’ve Been a Cowboy” spent two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart in 1993. Keith would go on to notch 20 No. 1 hits on that chart during his career, including “I Love This Bar,” “American Soldier,” and “I’m Just Talkin’ ‘Bout Tonight.”

Keith died in February at age 62 following a battle with stomach cancer. He will be posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year

Watch Billboard‘s look at Bryan’s performance of “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” below:

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Fights Producer’s ‘Lurid’ Sex Abuse Lawsuit: ‘Blatant Falsehoods’

Sean “Diddy” Combs wants a federal judge to end one of the several sexual abuse cases he’s facing, arguing that the “salacious” lawsuit is filled with “blatant falsehoods” designed to force him into a settlement.

In a motion filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, attorneys for the star ask a judge to dismiss a case filed in February by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who claims Combs sexually assaulted, drugged and threatened him while he worked as a producer on the rapper’s 2023 The Love Album.

Though they say the case is really nothing more than a “run of the mill commercial disagreement,” Combs lawyers claim Jones’ lawyer added “meaningless allegations and blatant falsehoods” in order to “generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement.”

“Running to nearly 100 pages, it includes countless tall tales, shameless celebrity namedrops, and irrelevant images,” Combs’ lawyers write. “Yet, despite all its hyperbole and lurid theatrics, the [complaint] fails to state a single viable claim against any of the Combs defendants.”

The filing took personal aim at Jones’ attorney Tyrone Blackburn, citing a recent ruling in a separate case in which a federal judge sharply criticized the lawyer for filing suits designed to “garner media attention” and “embarrass defendants.”

Once one of the most powerful men in the music industry, Diddy has been hit with at least seven civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse over the past year, including claims by ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura that were followed by a video showing him assaulting her. The hip-hop mogul is also facing an apparent federal criminal investigation after authorities raided his homes in March.

Though the rapper has denied the legal allegations against him, he issued an apology in May over his conduct captured on the video of the Ventura attack: “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”

Jones sued in February, accusing Diddy not just of sexual assault but also of operating a sweeping conspiracy that violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — the federal RICO statute that’s more often used in criminal cases against mobsters and drug cartels. He also accused Combs and others of violating federal sex trafficking laws.

In Monday’s motion to dismiss the case, attorneys for the rapper argued that Jones had fallen well short of showing that he could sue under RICO.

“Because litigants frequently attempt to transform garden-variety fraud or breach of contract cases into RICO claims, the civil provisions of RICO are the most misused statutes in the federal corpus of law,” Combs’ lawyers write, quoting from earlier rulings. “Thus, courts strive to flush out frivolous RICO allegations at an early stage of the litigation.”

Combs lawyers also asked the judge to dismiss the other claims in the case. They argued that the claim of sexual assault is spelled out in “two vague paragraphs” in which Jones “fails to allege essential facts, such as the where, when, and how of the purported misconduct, or even any conversation about, report of, or witness to any particular occurrence.”

Jones’ attorney, Blackburn, did not immediately return a request for comment from Billboard. But in a statement to Deadline, Blackburn called the motion to dismiss “nothing more than a billing exercise by Sean Combs’ latest set of lawyers.”

“It is a weak attempt to fill their pockets before he is indicted, and they decide to haul ass, just like his five previous lawyers did,” Blackburn told the outlet.

Jones’ case initially named Universal Music Group (UMG) and CEO Lucian Grainge as defendants, claiming they “aided and abetted” Combs in his alleged misconduct and were members of the RICO conspiracy. But Jones later dropped them from the case, with Blackburn admitting there had been “no legal basis for the claims and allegations that were made against the UMG defendants.”

Read the entire motion filed by Combs’ lawyers here:

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Country Artist Kassi Ashton Signed Her Record Deal a Near-Decade Ago — Here’s Why Her Debut Is Just Coming Out

Nearly a decade ago, as a college senior, rising country singer Kassi Ashton signed a record deal with Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN)/Interscope Records. Now 30 — and following the success of her highest-charting single to date — the California, Mo. native will finally release her anticipated debut album, Made From the Dirt, on Sept. 20.

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Foundation

Singer-songwriter Ashton is a study in contrasts: a motorcycle enthusiast who designs and crafts many of her stage and red-carpet outfits from scratch (including for this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, where she was nominated for new female artist of the year). As a child, she competed in pageants mostly as a vessel for showcasing her music. Even then, her vocal prowess was apparent, thanks to influence from vocalists including Adele, Aretha Franklin and (later) the country-soul of Chris Stapleton. Ashton soon started writing original songs, enrolling at Nashville’s Belmont University to study commercial voice and music business.

Discovery

In 2016, as college graduation neared, Ashton signed a management and publishing deal with Nashville-based Creative Nation. By 2017, she scored a label deal with UMGN in partnership with Interscope. But the ensuing years were spent refining her sound and weathering setbacks, with none of her singles promoted at radio — and no debut album. “I never felt like I should quit,” she says. “When I signed, they wanted me to go straight to radio. I said no because I didn’t have a song I wanted to sing for the rest of my life.” Her first full-length was also delayed by the pandemic in 2020, but in 2022, she finally issued her debut country radio single, “Dates in Pickup Trucks,” followed by “Drive You Out of My Mind.” The two songs built momentum, but this year’s “Called Crazy” has resonated most, rising to No. 32 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. “It came so easy,” she says. “I felt like I was finding a pillar.”

Future

Nearly a decade after inking her label deal, Ashton will release her long-awaited debut album, Made From the Dirt, on Sept. 20. She teamed with longtime collaborator Luke Laird, as well as Oscar Charles, to craft an eclectic mix of uptempo jams (“I Don’t Wanna Dance”), grungy rock gems (“Son of a Gun”) and a heartfelt tribute to her late grandmother (“Juanita”). “I couldn’t have made this album at 23,” Ashton says. “It would have been rushed and not steady with who I am as a person. I can’t wait to see how what I’ve put energy, time and tears into is connecting.”

A version of this story appears in the Aug. 24, 2024, issue of Billboard.

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Shawn Mendes, Anitta & More Set to Perform at 2024 MTV VMAs

Shawn Mendes, Anitta, Karol G and LL Cool J are joining the roster of stars slated to perform at the 2024 MTV VMAs live on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT from New York’s UBS Arena.

Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, GloRilla and Rauw Alejandro were the first artists slated to perform at the awards; they were announced on Aug. 12. Benson Boone, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz and LISA were added to the lineup on Aug. 21. Megan Thee Stallion is set to host the show. Katy Perry will receive the Video Vanguard Award and also perform on the show.

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Latin music will be heavily represented on the show, with three performers from the genre (Anitta, Karol G and Alejandro) and a fourth (Cabello) with Latin roots.

Cabello and Mendes performed “Señorita” on the VMAs in 2019 when they were pop’s most photogenic couple, dating until 2021 and briefly reuniting in 2023. This year, they are set to perform separately.

Ahead of the release of his fifth studio album, Shawn, on Oct. 18, Mendes will make a return to the MTV stage for the first televised performance from the album. Mendes has a streak to protect: His first four studio albums all reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Mendes performed on the VMAs three years running: “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” (2017), “In My Blood” (2018) and “If I Can’t Have You” and “Señorita” (2019). Most recently, he performed “Summer of Love,” his collab with Tainy, in 2021. Mendes is a two-time VMA winner.

Anitta is set to bring her signature Brazilian funk to the MTV stage for a third consecutive year with a medley of “Savage Funk” and “Alegria” plus the world premiere of “Paradise” with guest appearances by Fat Joe, DJ Khaled and Tiago PZK. Last year, she graced the stage twice: first with a medley of her Funk Generation hits “Used to Be,” “Funk Rave” and “Grip,” followed by a genre-bending K-pop/Latin crossover performance with TOMORROW X TOGETHER on “Back for More.” In 2022, she performed a medley that included “Envolver,” “Bola Rebola” and “Vai Malandra.” The first Brazilian artist to win at the VMAs in 2022 – best Latin for “Envolver” – Anitta is vying for her third consecutive best Latin win this year.

Karol G is also set to make a return to the MTV stage. Last year, the Colombian star won her first Moon Person – best collaboration alongside Shakira – and made her VMAs debut with a sultry rendition of “Oki Doki” / “Tá Ok.” This year, she’s poised to take home her second Moon Person and her first win in the best Latin category. Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito World Tour became the highest-grossing Latin tour by a woman in Billboard Boxscore history. Her album Mañana Será Bonito made her the first woman, and only the second artist ever, to top the Billboard 200 with an all-Spanish-language album. Her many awards include a Grammy, five Latin Grammys and the title of 2024 Billboard Woman of the Year.

LL Cool J will return to the MTV stage to perform new music from his upcoming album The FORCE, due Sept. 6. Last year, LL was part of the show-closing all-star 50th-anniversary salute to hip-hop – during which he performed his hits “I’m Bad” and “Mama Said Knock You Out.” It was his first VMAs performance in more than 25 years. LL, the 1997 Video Vanguard recipient, performed “Mama Said Knock You Out” on the 1991 show. He also took home his first Moon Person – best rap – for that same hit.

This year will mark the first time the show has been held on 9/11 since the terrorist attack in 2001 made that date infamous. In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV will again support the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and Tuesday’s Children, which serves the families of 9/11.

The 2024 show will be held just three days shy of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural VMAs at Radio City Music Hall, where Madonna stole the show.

Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, with 10 nods. Her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second, with nine nods – eight in tandem with Swift plus one for his hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen. They are followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem and Carpenter (six nods each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each), and LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims (four each).

Other artists with multiple nominations are Anitta, Benson Boone, Bleachers, GloRilla, Dua Lipa and Tyla, with three each; and Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Roan, Charli XCX, Coldplay, Drake, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Jung Kook, Latto, Alejandro, Sexyy Red, Tate McRae, Usher and Victoria Monét, with two each.

Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into the show on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Nominations in social categories will be announced at a later date.

Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers for the 2024 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.

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Former Warner Music Chief Edgar Bronfman Jr. Drops $6 Billion Bid for Paramount

The merger between entertainment giant Paramount and media company Skydance is set to go ahead after Edgar Bronfman Jr. withdrew a competing offer.

Bronfman, executive chairman of streaming service Fubo, told Paramount’s special committee of directors Monday night that he would not proceed with his bid.

“While there may have been differences, we believe that everyone involved in the sale process is united in the belief that Paramount’s best days are ahead,” he said.

Bronfman, the former chairman and CEO of Warner Music, had intitially offered $4.3 billion for Shari Redstone’s National Amusements, the controlling shareholder of Paramount, according to multiple media reports. He then upped that bid to $6 billion.

Paramount agreed last month to a merger deal with Skydance that will inject desperately needed cash into a legacy studio that has struggled to adapt to a shifting entertainment landscape.

Since then, during what’s known as a “go shop” period, a special committee of Paramount’s board had reached out to more than 50 third parties to determine whether they were interested in making offers. The go shop period was extended for Bronfman, but has now closed.

Shari Redstone’s National Amusements has owned more than three-quarters of Paramount’s Class A voting shares through the estate of her late father, Sumner Redstone. She had battled to maintain control of the company that owns CBS, which is behind blockbuster films such as “Top Gun” and “The Godfather.”

The deal signals the rise of a new power player, Skydance founder David Ellison, the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, who founded the software company Oracle.

Skydance, based in Santa Monica, California, has helped produce some major Paramount hits in recent years, including Tom Cruise films like “Top Gun: Maverick” and installments of the “Mission Impossible” series.

The proposed combined company of Paramount and Skydance is valued at around $28 billion. The deal is expected to close in September 2025, pending regulatory approval.

Paramount, founded in 1914 as a distributor, is one of Hollywood’s oldest studios and has had a hand in releasing numerous films — from “Sunset Boulevard” and “The Godfather,” to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Titanic.”

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Hot 100 First-Timers: Gigi Perez Debuts With Queer Love Ballad ‘Sailor Song’

Gigi Perez is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist, thanks to her breakthrough viral hit, “Sailor Song.”

The track, which Perez self-released on July 26, debuts at No. 98 on the Aug. 31-dated chart from its streaming sum: 5.6 million official U.S. clicks (up 20%) Aug. 16-22, according to Luminate. It also rises 10-9 on Hot Alternative Songs, 12-9 on Hot Rock Songs and 16-13 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs.

Perez first began teasing the song on TikTok in April, helping generate hype leading up to its official release. The initial clip shared on her TikTok has since soundtracked over 40,000 clips on the platform, while the official audio has been used in over 75,000. Fans liken her sound to such alt-folk favorites as Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Hozier.

While many have raved about the song’s lyrics detailing queer love and longing, Perez has received backlash from some religious TikTokers due to its lyric, “I don’t believe in God / But I believe that you’re my savior.” In response to users asking her to remove the line, she shared a TikTok last week, writing via caption, “I never had to consider whether or not I was going to change my song cause it was never up for discussion … My songwriting is not a democracy and that applies to every artists [sic] work.”

The New Jersey-born, Florida-raised singer-songwriter first achieved a taste of stardom in 2021 with her song “Sometimes (Backwood),” which has since racked up 57.9 million official U.S. streams. She released her debut eight-track EP, How To Catch a Falling Knife, in 2023 (via Mogul Vision/Interscope Records) and two more songs this year: “Normalcy,” in March, and “Please Be Rude,” in May.

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SPIN Magazine Returning to Print With Editor-in-Chief Bob Guccione Jr.

After more than a decade out of circulation, SPIN is returning to print as a quarterly magazine, the media brand announced Tuesday (Aug. 27) — the same day its first new issue featuring cover star Lainey Wilson hits newsstands.

The revived magazine will again be run by SPIN founder and editor-in-chief Bob Guccione Jr., who will oversee a full editorial staff.

“This is more than just a return to our roots; it’s a bold leap into the future,” said SPIN CEO Jimmy Hutcheson in a statement. “We’re bringing back the raw, unfiltered spirit of SPIN that resonated with so many readers, and we’re doing it with a modern twist that reflects the evolving landscape of music and culture. It’s exciting to see others like The Onion, Nylon and even LIFE going back into print. In today’s noisy digital ecosystem, print plays a fun and new role for all readers of all ages.”

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In addition to the cover story with Wilson, the inaugural issue of the revived SPIN features an interview with Suki Waterhouse; an article by Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery, in which he recounts “the band’s rise and fall — and rise again” along with his struggled with addiction; an interview with Bill Maher; and a story by Matt Thompson “on spending time with America’s Number One fugitive, Ammon Bundy,” according to a press release.

In addition to at-home delivery for subscribers, SPIN will be available at stores including Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indigo/Chapters (Canada), Hudson News, independent stores in New York City and independent record stores across the U.S.

Guccione founded SPIN in 1985 and established the magazine as a preeminent music publication before selling it to Miller Publishing in 1997 for $43.5 million. In late 2012, SPIN ceased publication of its print magazine after being acquired by Buzzmedia, which later became SpinMedia. In 2016, SpinMedia’s music brands (SPIN, VIBE and Stereogum) were acquired by the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, which sold SPIN and Stereogum to private equity firm Next Management Partners in 2020. Guccione rejoined the SPIN brand as a creative advisor shortly thereafter.

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Hozier Postpones Two Shows Due to Vocal Issues: ‘It Breaks My Heart To Do This’

Hozier is taking a brief break from the road to rest and recuperate. The “Too Sweet” singer informed fans on Monday (August 26) that he’s been forced to postpone tonight’s (August 27) planned show in Billings, MT at the First Interstate Arena and Wednesday’s (August 28) gig at Casper, WY’s Ford Wyoming Center due to vocal issues.

“I want to thank each and every one of you for coming to a show during this run, and in particular those of you who have shown such kind support over the last number of nights while I’ve struggled vocally getting over a recent virus,” the singer wrote in a message on X.

“Although I’ve still really enjoyed getting to connect with you all from the stage, my voice just isn’t getting the chance it needs to recover properly,” he continued. “It breaks my heart to do this, but I’m going to have to postpone the next two shows…. to give my health and vocal chords every chance of recovery for the sake of the rest of the the tour.”

While the 34-year-old singer did not provide additional details about his what is ailing him, he did tell ticketholders that information on the rescheduled shows will be announced soon; fans are encouraged to hold on to their tickets, which will be honored on the new dates, or to apply for a refund from the point of purchase if they are unable to attend the rescheduled gigs.

Hozier recently released the three-track Unaired EP, which features songs recorded during the sessions for his 2023 Unreal Unearth album. Assuming his vocal issues clear up, the singer’s next slated tour date is on Friday (August 30) at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village, CO.

See Hozier’s post below.

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You Weren’t the Only One: DNC Exec Producer Says Even His Staff Thought Beyoncé Was Going to Pop Out

It was the rumor that everyone wanted to believe but nobody could confirm: the final night of the Democratic National Convention was going to feature a very special appearance by Beyoncé. The fantasy was that the singer was going to shock the world and cap the coronation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat party’s 2024 presidential nominee by performing her Harris campaign theme song, “Freedom” in Chicago’s United Center as the balloons and confetti rained down on Harris and her VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

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Only it wasn’t true and never was. It was, however, such a compelling manifestation that even some of the event’s staff were convinced it was happening.

“We never put out anything about Beyoncé. We denied it every time the media asked us — even though, by the way, people on my staff didn’t believe me,” DNC executive producer Ricky Kirshner told The Hollywood Reporter. “I kept getting texts from news organizations saying, ‘When is Beyoncé coming out?’ But come on, we have the biggest star, the Democratic nominee for president. Why would we overshadow that?”

It’s a fair point. Plus, Kirshner, an Emmy-winning veteran of 14 Super Bowl halftime shows and a raft of other live events, who worked with Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss (Tony Awards, Kennedy Center Honors) to design the four-night spectacle, said they already had a huge task ahead of them after Harris swapped in just four weeks before the event following President Joe Biden’s exit from the race. Coming off a muted 2020 convention that was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Weiss said they were looking for a “big-energy experience,” after throwing out the original script and pivoting to focus the event around Harris.

Weiss said the Beyoncé rumor — which kicked into high gear by the anonymous @Angry_Staffer X account writing, “If you thought the Oprah surprise was big, just wait” — was a perfect example of an internet whisper taking on a life of its own. “And people taking something as fact — literally to the point that people in my booth are saying, ‘Is she coming? You can tell me.’ And I would say, ‘I have no knowledge she’s coming.’ And they would say, ‘No knowledge? So there’s something to know?,’” he said. “It was pretty crazy. But she wasn’t coming. In the end even TMZ [which first reported it] had to issue an apology.”

The rumors spun up so quickly and fervently that a spokesperson for the singer stressed to THR on the day of Harris’ convention-ending acceptance speech on August 22 that “Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there… The report of a performance is untrue.”

While Queen Bey was not in the house, her presence was definitely felt, including on night one when a moving a cappella video cued to her Lemonade track “Freedom,” with narration from Oscar-nominee Jeffrey Wright, was played to help kick-off the proceedings. After Harris unexpectedly jumped into the race last month, the campaign rolled out “Freedom” during the veep’s walk-out at her inaugural visit to campaign headquarters. A full-band album version of the song was also featured in an early campaign video.

Unlike Trump, who has been sued, issued cease & desist orders and strongly-worded requests from artists who don’t agree with his divisive, name-calling rhetoric and who want him to stop using their music during his campaign stops, Beyoncé gave the Harris campaign full approval to use “Freedom.”

In another nod to how important music was to the DNC, Kirshner said that the instantly viral Georgia roll call moment with Lil Jon performing “Turn Down For What!” in the room even took producers by surprise. “It took on a life of its own,” Kirshner said of the high point of the innovative, music-heavy recitation of the delegate count, which had a much more traditional, staid roll-out at the RNC weeks before. “We were just trying to energize the room and we woke up the next morning and it was like, ‘holy crap!’ We actually asked a couple of people from other states if they might want to do something and they didn’t get into it. But Lil Jon just really leaned in.”

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