Third Democratic debate: Start time, candidates, how to watch and stream

The third Democratic primary debate of the 2020 election season is underway, and viewers are finally getting to see all the party’s top presidential hopefuls on the same stage duking it out.

All eyes will be on former Vice President Joe Biden, who is expected to be challenged by surging Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. In an Economist/YouGov poll published Wednesday, Warren managed to tie the previously untouchable Biden with 26 percent support among registered voters. Biden’s lead over Warren in the RealClearPolitics poll average — once as high as 32 points — has narrowed in recent weeks to just 10 points.

“She has really kicked ass and run an outstanding campaign,” Mike Lux, a Democratic strategist who worked for Biden’s 1988 campaign, told my colleague Jonathan Tamari. “There’s plenty of impressive candidates who’ve done some interesting things, but the one who seems to have staying power in terms of the challenges to Biden, it seems like its been Elizabeth.”

Moderating Thursday’s debate is George Stephanopoulos, ABC’s chief news anchor and the co-host of Good Morning America. He will be joined by World News Tonight anchor David Muir, correspondent Linsey Davis, and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos.

In addition to airing locally on 6ABC in Philadelphia and on Univision with a live Spanish translation, you can watch a livestream of the debate on YouTube or Facebook:

When: Thursday, Sept. 12

Where: Texas Southern University, Houston

Time: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

TV: ABC, Univision

Moderators: Chief news anchor George Stephanopoulos, World News Tonight anchor David Muir, correspondent Linsey Davis, Univision anchor Jorge Ramos

Streaming: ABC News Live, ABC app

On ABC, Muir will anchor World News Tonight live from Houston at 6:30 p.m. The network won’t cut into its national primetime schedule until 8 p.m. for the debate itself, meaning viewers in Philadelphia won’t miss out on Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune. Following Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Byron Pitts will anchor Nightline live from Houston at 12:30 a.m. Friday.

Fox News will present Special Report at 6 p.m. featuring chief political anchor Bret Baier anchoring live from the spin room. Baier will return after the debate at 11 p.m. to guest anchor FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream.

The DNC has approved as many as 12 debates, though there may be fewer, depending how the primary process plays out. Six are scheduled to take place in 2019, with six more set for 2020.

NBC hosted the first Democratic debate across two nights back in June and CNN hosted the second debate, also over two nights, last month.

» READ MORE: Kamala Harris was ready for her debate moment. Joe Biden wasn’t — and it could leave a lasting mark.

» READ MORE: Democrats debate how to win: Liberalism of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, or pragmatism?

The fourth debate is scheduled to take place in Ohio on Oct. 15 and possibly Oct. 16, since billionaire Tom Steyer’s qualification increases the number of qualified candidates to 11. Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is just two polls short of becoming the 12th candidate to qualify.

In order to qualify for the third and fourth debates, candidates needed to reach 2 percent in four polls from a list of DNC-approved pollsters and 130,000 unique donors to their campaign, which is why your Facebook feed has been flooded with video pitches from hopeful candidates. The remaining candidates have until Oct. 1 to qualify for the fourth debate.