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Cord cutters will be able to watch next week's GOP debate online

Good news for cord cutters: CNN will stream next week's Republican presidential debate online for free.

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Mashable's Jason Abbruzzese reported on Wednesday that people who want to watch the September 18 GOP debate will be able to stream it live using CNN's app or by visiting CNN.com on their PCs.

Typically, the only people who can stream CNN live online are people who also pay for TV through a provider like Comcast or DirecTV. 

Donald Trump
Businessman Donald Trump speaks to guests gathered for the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center on May 16, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The first Republican debate last month, which featured a lot of Donald Trump, set viewership records even though it was only available to people who paid for a TV subscription

Next week's debate is also expected to draw record viewership.

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The CNN livestream will still feature commercials, but Mashable reports they'll be different than the ads on TV, which CNN is selling for a premium. 

CNN's decision to stream the debate online for free comes as an increasing number of people are choosing to give up their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming entertainment online from services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO, among others. More than half a million households "cut the cord" during the second quarter of the year, a 76% increase over the same period last year, according to MoffettNathanson, a media research firm in New York.

So get ready to grab that popcorn and fire up your computer next Wednesday, because Trump's sure to put on a show.

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