Netflix is set to make history at the 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards by live-streaming the event for the first time. The awards ceremony, taking place at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles, will be available to Netflix’s 260 million global subscribers. This move comes after Netflix acquired the telecast rights to the SAG Awards in early 2023, signaling the streaming service’s growing influence in Hollywood’s awards season.
For viewers interested in watching the show, all they have to do is stream it on Netflix. The ceremony will run for approximately two hours without commercial breaks. And for those who miss the live broadcast, the show will be available on Netflix for 28 days. This marks one of Netflix’s most significant ventures into live streaming events, following previous live broadcasts of a Chris Rock comedy special, a celebrity golf tournament, and a live reunion episode of “Love Is Blind.”
In addition to the awards ceremony, viewers can also catch the stars arriving on the silver-colored carpet. The Associated Press will host two livestreams, one featuring stars posing as they arrive and another with interviews with attendees. Entertainment Weekly and People magazine will also host an arrivals carpet show that can be accessed on their YouTube pages and social media accounts.
As for the favorites at this year’s SAG Awards, Christopher Nolan’s atomic epic “Oppenheimer” is a leading contender with four nominations, including best ensemble. However, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is also up for four awards and could pose a challenge to “Oppenheimer” in the best ensemble category. The outcome of these awards could have implications for the upcoming Academy Awards, as three of the past four SAG ensemble winners have gone on to win best picture at the Oscars.
In the television categories, “Succession” is expected to continue its winning streak after previous victories at the Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. The show is up for five awards, competing against “The Bear,” “Ted Lasso,” “Beef,” and “The Last of Us.”
While some categories have clear frontrunners, such as Da’Vine Joy Randolph for supporting actress in “The Holdovers,” the lead actor awards are more uncertain. Cillian Murphy for “Oppenheimer” and Paul Giamatti for “The Holdovers” are neck-and-neck in the best male actor category. Similarly, Lily Gladstone for “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Emma Stone for “Poor Things” are both strong contenders for best female actor.
Aside from the awards themselves, the SAG Life Achievement Award will be presented to Barbra Streisand. The ceremony will also feature appearances by Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, who starred together in “The Devil Wears Prada.” This year’s SAG Awards come after a months-long strike by the SAG-AFTRA union, which fought for various issues related to the changing landscape of the film and TV industry due to streaming platforms like Netflix.
As Netflix continues to expand its influence in Hollywood, the live streaming of the SAG Awards marks another milestone for the streaming service. With a larger audience expected to tune in, this year’s ceremony promises to be an exciting and memorable event for both industry professionals and viewers around the world.
