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If you’re a member of Bachelor Nation, you may want to know how to watch The Bachelor 2023 online for free to see who Zach Shallcross chooses as the winner of season 27 and whose heart he breaks.
The Bachelor premiered on ABC in March 2002 with businessman Alex Michel as the first Bachelor. The show—which has aired for 26 seasons and produced several spinoffs including The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor Pad, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart and The Bachelor Winter Games—is a reality TV dating competition that sees dozens of contestants compete for one single Bachelor. Each week, the Bachelor goes on dates with his contestants—either one-on-one or in groups—and decides which contestants give roses to (which allows them to move onto next week) and which to eliminate.
The Bachelor follows this format until the final Rose Ceremony with the final two contestants, where he chooses one contestant to give his Final Rose to and one to send home. The Final Rose Ceremony also often sees The Bachelor propose to his winner. A special titled “After the Final Rose” also airs during the finale, which sees the Bachelor recap his season and update viewers on his relationship with his winner.
Since its premiere in 2002, The Bachelor has seen dozens of Bachelors and contestants find love with each other. The season 27 Bachelor is Zach Shallcross, a 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, and a contestant from The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia. Read on for how to watch The Bachelor 2023 online for free to see who wins Zach’s Bachelor season and who he almost chooses in the end.
When does The Bachelor 2023 start?
The Bachelor season 27 premieres on January 23, 2023, at 8 p.m. on ABC.
When does The Bachelor 2023 air?
The Bachelor season 27 airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
How to watch The Bachelor 2023 live online
How can one watch The Bachelor 2023 live online? The Bachelor season 28 airs on ABC, which is available to stream on services like Sling TV, Hulu+ With Live TV and Fubo TV. Sling TV starts at $40 for the first month; Fubo TV offers a seven-day free trial and starts at $69.99 per month; Hulu+ With live TV costs $69.99 per month for its ad-supported plan and $82.99 per month for its no-ads plan. Hulu+ With Live TV’s ad-supported plan comes with free ad-supported plans of Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, while Hulu+ With Live TV’s no-ads plan comes with free no-ads plans of Hulu and Disney Plus and an ad-supported plan of ESPN Plus.
For those who can wait, new episodes of The Bachelor season 27 are also released on Hulu a day after they air. Hulu’s cost starts at $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year (which saves users about $16) for its ad-supported plan. Hulu’s no-ads plan costs $14.99 per month. Hulu also offers a student discount for $1.99 per month fo its ad-supported plan (which saves users $6 per month or $72 per year.)
Hulu is also included in The Disney Bundle, which offers three plans: Duo Basic for $9.99 per month (which includes ad-supported plans of Hulu and Disney Plus; Trio Basic for $12.99 per month (which includes ad-supported plans of Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus); and Trio Premium for $19.99 per month (which includes ad-free plans for Hulu, and Disney Plus and an ad-supported plan of ESPN Plus). The Duo Basic saves subscribers $5.98 per month from subscribing to Hulu and Disney Plus’ ad-supported plans individually; Trio Basic saves subscribers $12.99 per month from subscribing to Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus’ ad-supported plans individually; and Trio Premium saves subscribers $15.98 per month from subscribing to Hulu and Disney Plus’ no-ads plans and ESPN Plus’ ad-supported plan individually.
How to watch The Bachelor 2023 live online for free
How can one watch The Bachelor 2023 online for free? Read on for our tips and tricks to stream The Bachelor season 27 at no cost.
Fubo TV offers seven-day free trials for its Pro, Elite and Ultimate. plans. Fubo’s Pro plan includes 142 channels, a DVR with 1,000 hours of space, and the ability to stream on up to 10 screens at the same time. The Elite plan includes 266 channels, a DVR with 1,000 hours of space, and the ability to stream on up to 10 screens at the same time. The Ultimate plan includes 306 channels, a DVR with 1,000 hours of space, and the ability to stream on 10 screens at the same time. Each plan includes ABC to watch The Bachelor.
Fubo starts at $69.99 per month for its Pro plan. The next level is the Elite plan for $79.99 per month. The final level is the Ultimate plan for $99.99 per month. Fubo also offers a fourth plan, Latino Quarterly, which does not offer a free trial, costs $32.99 per month and includes 45 Spanish-language channels, a DVR of 250 hours, and the ability to stream on up to two screens at the same time.
Hulu is the most affordable option to watch The Bachelor if you can wait a day. The service offers a 30-day free trial and uploads new episodes of ABC shows, including The Bachelor, less than 24 hours after they air live. Though viewers can’t watch episodes live (unless they subscribe to Hulu+ With Live TV), Hulu—which offers more than 1650 TV shows and 2,500 movies along with The Bachelor—starts at $7.99 per month for its ad-supported plan and $14.99 per month for its ad-free plan. Both plans come with a 30-day free trial, so viewers can try the service before committing to a subscription.
If you’re a Verizon customer (or know someone who is), Verizon offers free Disney Plus subscription with its Unlimited plans (a.k.a. Get More Unlimited, Play More Unlimited, Verizon Plan Unlimited, Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited.) If you have one of these plans, you can sign-up for a free six-month Disney+ subscription (which saves you about $42.) Click here for Verizon’s FAQ on how to sign up for its free Disney+ subscription.
Verizon customers with Get More Unlimited and Play More Unlimited plans are also eligible for their Disney Bundle, which offers not only a free Disney Plus subscription for as long as you have your Verizon plan, but also free Hulu and ESPN Plus subscriptions too, which saves viewers about $25.97 per month. Click here for Verizon’s FAQ on how to sign up for its Disney Bundle.
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Who is the Bachelor 2023? The Bachelor season 27 is Zach Shallcross, a contestant on The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia. Zach was Rachel’s contestant and self-eliminated in the final three. He was announced as the season 27 Bachelor at The Bachelorette season 19 “After the Final Rose” special in September 2022.
“As we know plans can always change last minute, and it won’t be “official” until next Tuesday on the ATFR, but I feel confident in reporting that the next Bachelor is going to be Zach Shallcross,” Reality Steve tweeted in September 2022 before Zach’s announcement. Reality Steve also wrote in a blog post before his confirmation about how Zach was the only contestant from The Bachelorette season 19 that he could see being the season 27 Bachelor after another frontrunner turned the role down. “It means we’re moving on to somebody else. I don’t know who from this season outside of maybe Zach,” Reality Steve wrote in a blog post in September 2022. Variety also reported in September 2022 that Zach was ABC’s top choice to become the next Bachelor, with two sources confirming the news. Zach will be announced as the season 27 Bachelor at The Bachelorette season 19 finale on September 20, 2022. Reality Steve also tweeted a video at the time of Zach filming his introduction for The Bachelor. “But from what I’ve been told, it’s going to be Zach. And here is footage I was sent today from this past Saturday of Zach filming his intro video in Austin,” he tweeted. Page Six also reported in September 2022 that Zach was a frontrunner to become the next Bachelor. “He’s been a frontrunner for a while,” the insider said at the time. “There’s no denying that the audience loves him.”
Zach is a 25-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, but lives in Austin, Texas. His Instagram handle is @zachshall. According to his Bachelorette 2022 bio, Zach describes himself as an “old-fashioned romantic” who loves three things in his life: his mom, his dogs and football. Read Zach’s Bachelorette 2022 biography and fun facts ahead:
“Zach is an old-fashioned romantic. He loves his mama, his dogs and football but promises he has more love to go around! He’s charismatic, personable and has a huge heart that he is so ready to share forever with the right woman. Zach’s perfect woman is compassionate, kind and ready for romance because Zach is excited to lay it on thick. He loves to plan thoughtful surprises, and nothing makes him happier than seeing the look of excitement on his partner’s face when his meaningful gifts are appreciated. Zach is serious about finding a love that will lead to marriage, so whatever grand romantic gesture it takes for him to get there, he’s ready to go!
Fun Facts:
– Zach would love to be Spiderman for a day.
– Zach doesn’t like breakfast. Eggs don’t agree with him.
– Zach loves beach volleyball and is a master of the ‘Top Gun’ high-five.”
Zach listed his job on The Bachelorette as “Tech Executive.” According to his Linkedin, Zach worked as a Senior Cloud Technology Account Executive at Oracle, where he’d worked for three years, at the time he was on The Bachelorette. He was promoted to his current position in September 2021 and had also held roles like Cloud Technology Account Executive and Cloud Technology Consultant. He also worked as a Supervisor at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, California, and a Sales Operation Assistant at Gavel Group in Lake Forest, California. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Zach played Collegiate Division 1 football for Cal Poly for five years. “My role consists of strategically helping business in Houston enhance, extend, and leverage their current software, platform, and infrastructure while educating them on what Oracle’s portfolio has to offer,” Zach’s Linkedin bio read.
Before Zach was confirmed as the season 27 Bachelor, Reality Steve reported on his podcast in September 2022 that Nate Mitchell, a contestant on The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, was offered the role but declined. “In regards to the Bachelor, obviously we’re about three weeks away from any announcement being made, I’m assuming it’s going to be made on the After the Final Rose, if not, within a day or two of that on GMA like they usually do. But after poking around a little bit, asking around, what I can tell you is: I don’t know who the Bachelor’s going to be, but you can cross Nate off the list. I have heard it is not him,” Reality Steve said. “I usually can’t get any details to stuff like that. I have heard, I have no idea if it’s true or not, but I have heard he rejected it, he doesn’t want to do it.” A source also told E! News in August 2022 that Nate was the frontrunner to become the next Bachelor.
The reports also came after Nate was photographed holding hands with a woman at a grocery store in Chicago, Illinois, in August 2022, weeks after he cried over his breakup with Gabby on The Bachelorette season 19 “Men Tell All” special. “Spotted Nate and another girl in Chicago today,” an anonymous source sent to the Instagram account @bachelorettewindmill along with a photo. “They were both holding hands so could be dating?”
While Nate wasn’t the Bachelor 2023, Gabby told Entertainment Tonight in August 2022 that he was her number-one choice as the next lead. “Nate. 100 percent Nate, Nate, Nate!” she said. “He knows how to treat women. He’s so smart, he’s old, he has a great job, he spends his time reading—not reading social media, reading actual books. He has a daughter, so he knows what it’s like to have responsibility. He’s a real, true definition of a man.” Host Jesse Palmer also voted for Nate. “Nate is a standup guy. He’s an amazing person. He’s mature, he has an incredible emotional maturity, he’s vulnerable, he respects women, and he’s a great dad,” Jesse said. “I there’s there’s very few negative things I can say about Nate.” Jesse also had another choice for the next lead. “Are we still saying Pete Davidson? Is that still a choice?” Jesse said. “… I wanna ride that train. Wanna talk about a wild Bachelor season? That would probably be it. We might have to change some of our parameters.”
Gabby and Rachel also voiced their support for two Bachelors like how there were two Bachelorettes on season 19. “We loved each other for it, and loved having one another by one another’s side,” Gabby said of her relationship with Rachel. “I don’t know if men would feel the same, it depends on their relationship, but I think there’s a lot of good to come out of our season.” Rachel added, “I think ultimately if the Bachelors supported each other and loved each other to the extent that Gabby and I do, it could be incredible as well, but they would definitely have to be on the same level as us. Lots to live up to, of course!”
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Who’s in The Bachelor 2023 cast? See below for a full list of contestants on The Bachelor season 27.
- Viktoria Eichner, 29, Vienna Austria – Nanny
- Victoria Jameson, 30, Keller, Texas – Professional Makeup Artist
- Vanessa Dinh, 23, Farmington Hills, Michigan – Restaurant Marketer
- Sonia Sharma, 29, Jericho, New York – Project Manager
- Olivia Miller, 25, Delphos, Ohio – Stylist
- Olivia Lewis, 24, Churchville, New York – Patient Care Technician
- Mercedes Northup, 24, Bloomfield, Iowa – Nonprofit Case Manager
- Madison Johnson, 26, Fargo, North Dakota – Business Owner
- Lekha Ravi, 29, Miami, Florida – Financial Advisor
- Kylee Russell, 25, Charlotte, North Carolina – Postpartum Nurse
- Katherine Izzo, 26, Tampa, Florida – Registered Nurse
- Kaitlyn “Kaity” Biggar, 27, Kingston, Ontario – ER Travel Nurse
- Jessica “Jess” Girod, 23, Winter Springs, Florida – E-Commerce Coordinator
- Holland Parsons, 24, Boca Raton, Florida – Insurance Marketer
- Greer Blitzer, 24, Bellaire, Texas – Medical Sales Representative
- Genevie Mayo, 26, Baltimore, Maryland – Neonatal Nurse
- Gabrielle “Gabi” Elnicki, 25, Pittsford, Vermont – Senior Account Executive
- Davia Bunch, 25, Roebuck, South Carolina – Marketing Manager
- Christina Mandrell, 26, Hendersonville, Tennessee – Content Creator
- Charity Lawson, 26, Columbus, Georgia – Child and Family Therapist
- Catherine “Cat” Wong, 26, Chevy Chase, Maryland – Professional Dancer
- Cara Ammon, 27, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Corporate Recruiter
- Brooklyn Willie, 25, Mineola, Texas – Rodeo Racer
- Brianna Thorbourne, 24, Jersey City, New Jersey – Entrepreneur
- Becca Serrano, 25, Burbank, California – Nursing Student
- Bailey Brown, 27, Brentwood, Tennessee – Executive Recruiter
- Ariel Frenkel, 28, New York City, New York – Marketing Executive
- Anastasia Keramidas, 30, Baltimore, Maryland – Content Marketing Manager
- Alyssa “Aly” Jacobs, 26, Smyrna, Georgia – Healthcare Strategist
Image: ABC/John Fleenor.
Who is The Bachelor 2023 host? The Bachelor season 27 host is Jesse Palmer, who was the season 5 Bachelor in 2004 and was the youngest Bachelor in Bachelor Nation history at 24 years old. Jesse hosted his first Bachelor franchise show in 2022 with The Bachelor season 26 with Clayton Echard. During The Bachelor season 5 finale, Jesse gave his Final Rose to Jessica Bowlin, but didn’t propose to her. Jesse and Jessica continued to date, but ended their relationship a few weeks after the finale of their Bachelor season aired. In June 2020, Jesse and his girlfriend, Emely Fardo, married in an intimate wedding in New York City. Jesse told Us Weekly in November 2021 that he and Emely planned to marry in Provence, France, before the current health crisis cancelled their wedding date. “We had originally planned a wedding in Provence, France, for summer 2020, which was postponed until summer of 2021 due to the pandemic, but we didn’t want to wait any longer,” he said at the time. “So, we had a small, private and intimate ceremony with close friends who lived in New York City.”
Jesse graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played football for the Florida Gators, in 2001 with a bachelor’s of arts degree in political science and a bachelor’s of science degree in marketing. After graduation, Jesse was drafted by the National Football League to play for the New York Giants. He played with the team for four seasons from 2001 to 2005 as a quarterback. After the New York Giants, Jesse was drafted by the Canadian Football League to play for the Montreal Alouettes. He played with the team until 2005 when he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers. He then resigned with the Montreal Alouettes in 2006 before he retired from football in 2007 to pursue a broadcasting career. Since his broadcasting career started, Jesse has worked with networks like Fox, NFL Network, ESPN, ABC and SEC Network. He’s also guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and made guest appearances on shows like Recipe to Riches and Good Morning America, and hosted the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship and Holiday Baking Championship.
Jesse was announced as The Bachelor season 26 host in September 2021. “For more than 20 years, The Bachelor has brought the world dozens of unforgettable love stories, including at one time, my own,” he said at the time. “Falling in love is one of life’s greatest gifts, and I am humbled by the opportunity to return to the show as host this season to offer the newest Bachelor advice gained from firsthand experience and I am grateful to play a small part in his journey.” The announcement came after Chris Harrison, the former host of Bachelor Nation, confirmed in June 2021 that he had retired as the franchise’s host after 19 years. “I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter,” he wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “I’m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we’ve made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.”
Deadline reported at the time that Chris received a mid-range, eight-figure settlement as part of exit plan with ABC, the network that airs the Bachelor franchise, and Warner Bros. Television, the company that produces the Bachelor shows. The magazine also reported that Harrison’s settlement included a nondisclosure agreement. Chris’ decision to retire as Bachelor Nation’s host came after he was slammed for his response to season 25 Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racism scandal in February 2021. Rachael, the winner of Matt James’ season, faced backlash at the time when photos resurfaced of her at an Old South Antebellum-themed party at Georgia College in 2018. Before the pictures went viral, Rachael was already under controversy after her former high school classmate accused her on TikTok of bullying her and other students for dating Black men. Other TikTok users then exposed Rachael for liking social media photos of her friends in culturally insensitive costumes and with Confederate flags.
Chris came under controversy after he was interviewed about the scandal by season 13 Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on Extra. During the interview, Chris asked fans to give Rachael “grace” and explained that he didn’t find the Antebellum party photos offensive because they just looked like pictures a college student takes at a party. Harrison also questioned whether the photos would be considered racially insensitive in 2018 when they were taken. After the interview, many fans slammed Harrison and accused him of excusing Rachael’s behavior.
ABC confirmed in March 2021 that Chris wouldn’t host season 17 of The Bachelorette and would be replaced by Tayshia and Kaitlyn. “Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of The Bachelorette,” ABC said in a statement at the time. “We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing. In his absence, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will support the new Bachelorette through next season. As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks. These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world.” He officially retired as the Bachelor Nation’s host in June 2021.
The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu. Here’s how to watch it for free.
Image: Courtesy of Penguin Books.
To get more of an inside scoop, check out Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman’s book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, for a deep dive into the Bachelor franchise. The book uncovers the secrets of Bachelor Nation, from how much the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are paid to the rules contestants have to follow, that producers don’t want fans to know. It’s a must-read for any Bachelor Nation member.
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