All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The Voice is back for its 29th season with some major changes to the Emmy Award-winning show’s format that might change the competition show for the better.
The first episode of The Voice is set to air tonight, Feb. 23, via NBC at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock. The following episodes will air on Mondays at the same time.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
This season, titled Battle of Champions, sees coaches and past show winners Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and John Legend make their triumphant return to the spinning red chairs for what is being called a high-stakes three-coach face-off.
The Voice: Battle of Champions At a Glance
If you’re new to the show or a seasoned watcher, there’s something for everyone to love this season. We’ll be breaking down the changes made to the format below.
ShopBillboard will show you how you can tune in to all the drama and music in store for season 29 for free. Keep reading to learn more.
How to Watch The Voice: Battle of Champions Online for Free
DIRECTV
You can watch the show’s 29 season via DIRECTV, a live TV streamer that lets you watch hundreds of channels online without cable. All of DIRECTV‘s packages include access to NBC as part of their base lineup, though we’d suggest the ENTERTAINMENT package for the most options.
This package is currently available for a discounted price of $49.99 for the first month, down from $89.99 a month and is ideal for those looking to tap into a slew of entertainment-based channels. If you’re unsure about committing to a new subscription, you can try the service out for free for five days, which will let you watch the new season for free.
Hulu + Live TV
Another option to watch the show online is a Hulu + Live TV subscription, given that NBC is included in the live TV channel lineup. The service also offers a three-day free trial to new users. A subscription to the service (with ads) will cost $89.99 per month, while the plan without ads goes for $99.99 per month. Both plans give you access to watch the new season live online without cable.
Peacock
Peacock is the official streaming home for The Voice and its latest season. While there is no free trial for new users, the platform offers affordable plans starting at just $10.99 per month, or an annual plan for $109.99 per year (which gets you 12 months of streaming for the price of 10). With your subscription, you’ll gain access to NBC, Bravo and more along with live sports and Peacock Originals.
A Breakdown of the New Rules of The Voice: Battle of Champions
With 10 artists in tow following blind auditions (where coaches listen to contestants with their backs turned), coaches will compete against one another in a Triple Turn Competition where they will attempt to score the most three-chair turns, with the winner gaining what is called a Super Steal in the next round. This new prize can only be used once and negates any other coach’s attempt to Steal. If you didn’t know, a Steal allows a coach to recruit an artist who was just eliminated by another coach during the Battle rounds.
In the Knockouts round, each coach will be able to bring back two artists from their former teams for an In-Season All-Star Competition. Season one coach CeeLo Green is set to return to the show to judge the all-star portion. The selected artists will represent their specific coaches in all-out head-to-head sing-offs. In the end, the coach who takes home the most sing-off wins is guaranteed two artists from their season 29 team in the finale.
While finale episodes generally feature a top four, season 28 was a major exception with a top six. Either way, this all-star competition should make for some intense TV. At the end of it all, the winner of The Voice will receive a cash prize of $100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Music Group.