republican candidates
Republican U.S. presidential candidates businessman Donald Trump (second left) and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina (far right) criticize each other's business records as Dr. Ben Carson (left), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (center) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (second right) look on during the second official Republican presidential candidates debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Sept. 16, 2015. Reuters

The large field of candidates seeking the 2016 Republican presidential nomination were set to take the stage Wednesday for the third GOP debate. CNBC will air the debate and offer a live stream online to users who are subscribed to the cable channel.

The first debate, featuring the lower-polling candidates, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. EDT, while the prime-time debate featuring the higher-polling candidates is scheduled to begin at about 8 p.m. EDT. The live stream of the debates will be limited compared to prior debates aired on CNN, which featured free streaming at the network's website. To watch the CNBC live stream users will have to authenticate that they are cable subscribers of the network. The debate is "available to all CNBC digital customers who authenticate via TV Everywhere on CNBC.com, mobile apps and Apple TV, as well as to CNBC PRO subscribers," the network said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This follows the model Fox News employed in its GOP primary debate last month, but most cable subscribers have CNBC, meaning they will have access to the stream, the New York Observer reported. To watch the live stream, click here.

2016 Republican Candidates | InsideGov

To qualify for the later debate, candidates had to earn an average of at least three percent in "methodically sound and recognized national polls conducted by NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, CNN and Bloomberg," according to a press release from the channel.

The 10 qualifying candidates were real estate mogul Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. The first debate will feature former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former New York Gov. George Pataki and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The debate will be be held at the Coors Events Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, and CNBC anchors Carl Quintanilla and Becky Quick along with CNBC journalist John Harwood will serve as moderators. The debate is expected to focus a range of issues, including job growth, taxes and the health of the national economy.