Where to watch the Jackson memorial online

Fans sign a banner outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles--the site of Tuesday's planned Michael Jackson memorial service.

(Credit: CC famoussd/Flickr)

Some 1.6 million people registered for a chance to receive 8,750 pairs of tickets to attend Michael Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center on Tuesday. But if you weren't among the lucky few who won tickets but feel the need to bear witness to the spectacle, fear not--several Web sites plan to provide live streaming video of the event.

The service will be a star-studded event, with singers Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, and Smokey Robinson expected to perform in what some expect to be the biggest event in the Web's history.

Considering how news Web sites buckled under the weight of the public's thirst for news on the singer's death last month, how the Web will handle the public's demand for a live view of the service is the big mystery. Indeed, the surge of Michael Jackson-related searches on Google News was first interpreted by the search giant as an attack on its service.

Here's a sampling of the Web sites that plan to offer live streams from the service, which begins at 10 a.m. PDT:

News sites
CBSNews.com, which is owned by CNET parent CBS, plans to stream video provided by Los Angeles-based station KCBS, as well as other sources. TV.com, also a CBS property, plans to stream the CBSNews.com content as well.

CNN plans to stream the memorial service with hosts Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Don Lemon, and Soledad O'Brien.

ABCNews.com plans to stream live with commentary from Charles Gibson.

Fox News' live stream will be hosted by Shepard Smith, with Greta Van Susteren and Megyn Kelly providing live reports from the scene.

Local Fox affiliate KTTV is also providing live streaming.

U.K. news site SkyNews is providing live HD streaming.

Video and social networking
Hulu, as one of the most popular video Web sites, may be one of the best-prepared sites to handle the load. It plans to stream the Fox News feed.

Microsoft's InMusic is providing high-definition streaming via its Silverlight and SmoothStreaming technology.

MySpace members will have access to a live stream provided by entertainment titan AEG, which owns the Staples Center and was underwriting the planned Jackson tour.

Facebook members will have access to CNN Live feed thanks to a partnership with the TV news channel.

Updated at 10 a.m. with more news sites.

[RighteousSoutherner]

Foregettaboutit!! Like New York Congressman King said today, "He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct."

[MyRightEye]

Mothers of abused children seek justice, not money. Funny how they both took money instead.

He clearly did not abuse anyone. Don't take out your frustrations on an innocent man. [CNET editors' note: Personal attack deleted.]

[Splashes]

Heh. "Innocent man." Yep, and OJ was innocent, too.

Whatever you're smoking, it's working.

[MyRightEye]

The forensic evidence against OJ was overwhelming. And he has since admitted to it.

The forensic evidence against MJ was non-existant. He has continued to deny the allegations.

Chalk and cheese.

It's not drugs that allows a person to see beyond the cynicism to a man that genuinely just wanted to remain child-like. It's the opposite that is true.

Parents don't accept bribes in exchange for justice. If you're too thick to appreciate that, don't worry, I'm sure there's a lot of things you don't understand.

[Lumiseon]

Hmm...You people don't watch the news much. Did you know that one of the boys who said he molested him finally came forth and SAID HE LIED ABOUT IT?

[ejimajon]

Politicians should know that people in glass houses should never throw stones. I wonder where Congressman King was when John Gotti died. Did he not receive publicity? There were people who praised him for the things he did for his neighborhood. Michael Jackson is dead. Those that mourn his death remember his contributions to the world of music.
Look Mr. King, if you do not like it, I recommend that you turn off your TV and radio because no matter what you think, Jackson will be remembered by the millions who love and admire him. Please note that your comment will hunt you during your re-election.

[Splashes]

"If you weren't among the luck [sic] few who won tickets..."

That's a Freudian slip if I ever saw one. You have to be sick to pay attention to MJ.

I'll be doing something else that day. Something that doesn't involve being a spectator at the site of a human train wreck.

[saintseminole]

"Live, streaming video" doesn't help the estimated 140 million people who have to be at work at 10 a.m. on any given Tuesday.

Are any of these sites planning to have this video available later in the day? Seems like that would be an important tidbit.

[gwiz313]

I am pretty sure of those 140 million, between portable internet devices, laptops, company computers, and DVR's at home about 139.5 million should be able to watch it somehow. If you for whatever reason are stuck back in the 80's and do not have at least 1 of the above devices then too bad for you...

[saintseminole]

@gwiz313:
It's not about "being stuck in the '80s" (corrected apostrophe). It's about being at work. Maybe at your work you can just stop your little part of the economy momentarily, but that's not an option at any job I've ever had. Yes, we have computers and internet devices, and I can even visit -- occasionally -- news sites like this. But to watch a TV show at work? No thank, I need my job, and my wife needs hers.

You can also see it Live in HD here: http://inmusic.ca/news_and_features/Michael_Jackson .

[gerrrg]

I think it's being turned into a 3-ring circus with all the fanfare and hoopla over where it's gonna be, who's singing, who's getting a ticket, who's gonna show up, and who's gonna be allowed to come to downtown LA. Al Sharpton's in the mix, Papa Jackson wants to be in the center, Debbie Rowe doesn't know whether she wants to be in the public or out of it...hell, everyone wants to be in the entourage, right?

And then there are the family members and close friends that are genuinely in mourning over their loss. That part tends to get lost in all the media coverage.

[subslug]

Can we bury this guy already?

You should do a report on where on the internet we can go to avoid hearing another mention of MJ. It's damned scary when this makes the top story at CNN.

I wonder if you align this with all of the other events currently going on in the world, how important is this really?

[n3td3v]

Live stream on Sky News HD from 17:30 BST http://skynewshd.streaming.skysports.com/live/skynewshd/

[mmntech]

I'm waiting for Jackson's rotting corpse to burst out of the coffin and start doing the Thriller dance. lol

Seriously though, I think the news has gone beyond the point of nauseum with this story. Whatever happened to that whole Iran thing?

[streamOG]

Silverlight Feed: http://player.istreamplanet.com/MJ/player.html

[darthgerber]

Shame on you, CNET, for pointing the way and enabling company networks to become so overutilized with video streaming that normal business traffic slows to a halt. This is just irresponsible, plain and simple.