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You Can Stream The Vice Presidential Debate

by Melissa Cruz

With the first (and admittedly bizarre) presidential debate behind us, it's now time to turn voters' attention to the one and only vice presidential standoff on Oct. 4. The debate will give viewers their first clear look at Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and Indiana Governor Mike Pence without the looming shadow of their party's nominee so close behind — meaning, Pence may actually get a chance to speak this time. While there is a seemingly endless list of places to catch the face-off on cable and local stations, there are also plenty of ways to stream the vice presidential debate for those voters without a TV.

A lot of people already get their debate highlights from Twitter, so the social media giant is proposing users just watch the entire debate on the platform instead. They've partnered with Bloomberg to bring voters a live-stream of the Pence-versus-Kaine match, and will provide 30 minutes of political analysis before and after the event. A running ticker of commentary from users that tweet out #debatenight will scroll alongside the stream.

This option is pretty great for voters who are already glued to Twitter during the debates as it is — I know that I can't pass up a well-placed debate meme — and the platform and Bloomberg seem to be banking on that reliable viewership. According to a report from TechCrunch, Twitter has said that the Democratic and Republican primaries received over 1 billion impressions and that the first 2012 presidential debate alone saw 10 million tweets shoot across the internet.

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Facebook will also offer a similar method of watching the VP debate through its Facebook Live service. The social media platform partnered with ABC News to likewise feature a streamed look at the debate, as well as live commentary from Facebook users — courtesy of friends and strangers alike — directly below the video player. Pence might get the Trump treatment on this platform, too. The Republican candidate captured 79 percent of the discussion on Facebook Monday night, as opposed to Clinton's 21 percent. By those margins, users may expect to see a stream of Pence posts fill their tickers.

In addition to Twitter and Facebook, YouTube will also be live-streaming the debate, broadcasting coverage from PBS, Telemundo, and the Washington Post. Content creators the Young Turks and Complex News have plans to use YouTube's mobile live-streaming service to offer on-the-ground coverage from the debate venues to their viewers, too.

With all of these options, there's really no reason to miss out on the VP debate — and surely, with personalities as opposing as those of Kaine and Pence, it'll be a good one.