After spending nearly 10 months in a Russian prison, WNBA star Brittney Griner will finally open up about her experience.
Airing tonight, two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist will tell her story on TV for the first time with ABC News’ Robin Roberts for 20/20: Prisoner of Russia, a one-hour special ahead of the release of her book, Coming Home (Knopf) on May 7. Griner will share more about her experience in prison, how she survived the ordeal mentally and physically, her thoughts on the controversial prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout and her work with the nonprofit Bring Our Families Home.
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At a Glance: How to Watch Brittney Griner’s 20/20 Interview Online
- When Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET
- Channel ABC
- Stream online DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling
The eight-time WNBA All-Star arrived in Moscow on Feb. 17, 2022, to play for the Russian women’s basketball team during the WNBA offseason. The Phoenix Mercury player never set foot on the court, as she was arrested at the airport for possessing one gram of medically-prescribed cannabis oil. Her sudden detainment came days ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, turning her into a political pawn as the U.S. sought to navigate her release. She was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony but was freed on Dec. 8, 2022.
In Good Morning America‘s first look of the episode, 33-year-old Griner recounts the moment when she discovered the forgotten hash oil cartridge in her luggage.
“My life is over right here,” the athlete recalled thinking. “The [prison] mattress had a huge blood stain on it. I had no soap, no toilet paper. That was the moment when I just felt less than human. … I didn’t think I could get through what I needed to get through.” In another exclusive clip from the interview, Griner says she hoped fellow American detainee, Paul Whelan, would be released with her.
Griner will be the subject of an ESPN documentary and a potential ABC Signature scripted series as part of a partnership with Disney, the units’ parent company.
Ahead, find out more details on when and how to stream Griner’s 20/20: Prisoner of Russia interview online.
How to Watch Brittney Griner’s 20/20 Episode: Air Date, Time
The 20/20: Prisoner of Russia interview with WNBA player Brittney Griner airs on ABC on Wednesday, May 1, at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.
How to Stream Brittney Griner’s 20/20 Interview Online
Those with a traditional or streaming cable subscription can watch Griner’s 20/20 episode live by logging into on ABC.com with their TV provider credentials, including DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Verizon, Xfinity and others.
Griner’s 20/20 episode will also be available to stream on demand starting May 2 on Hulu.
Cord-cutters who want to watch the 20/20 interview with Griner can livestream the episode on any live TV streaming service that carries ABC, including DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV or Sling.
Below, keep reading to find out about all the ways to watch Griner’s 20/20: Prisoner of Russia special on ABC online, including for free.
DirecTV Stream
Watch the Brittney Griner 20/20 episode ABC for free when you sign up for DirecTV Stream‘s five-day trial. Pricing starts at $69.99 per month for the Entertainment package with over 75 other channels, including ABC, CNN, Discovery, Disney Channel, E!, MSNBC, Nickelodeon and others. Other plans offer over 105-150 channels for $84.99 to $159.99 per month.
New customers can also earn a $100 Visa gift card for a limited time; learn more here.
Fubo
Watch the 20/20 Brittney Griner interview on ABC and over 180 other news, entertainment and sports channels with a Fubo subscription starting at $79.99 monthly for the Pro package. The online TV streaming service offers a seven-day trial for new subscribers, so you can technically watch the the episode online for free during that period.
Other plans include the Elite package with 255 channels for $89.99 per month, the Premier tier with 264 channels (including NFL RedZone and Showtime) 4K streaming quality for $99.99 monthly. You can also record over 1,000 hours of TV shows, movies, games and more (including Monday, Thursday and Sunday night football) to watch later on your smartphone, tablet or TV.
Hulu + Live TV
Watch Griner’s special on 20/20 on ABC with a Hulu + Live TV subscription, which starts at $76.99 per month with ads and includes Disney+, ESPN+ and 75 major cable news, entertainment and sports channels. You’ll also get access to live sports events on ESPN+, like UFC Fight Night, PGA golf, soccer and baseball.
Though Hulu + Live TV isn’t offering a free trial right now, Hulu does have a 30-day free trial for its base plan ($7.99 and up per month), where you can watch the WNBA star’s interview on demand the day after it broadcasts on ABC.
Sling
Sling‘s Blue live TV streaming plan includes ABC, so it’s a great option for watching the 20/20 without traditional cable. For a limited time, new subscribers save $10 off their first month, so you’ll only pay $30 to $45 for the first 30 days, depending on the plan you choose.
Other packages include the individual Sling Orange plan (reg. $40 per month) that offers more than 30 channels and the combined Sling Orange + Blue tier (reg. $55 monthly) that features 46 channels.
