NBCUniversal,YouTube,and ABC Compete forโข Futureโฃ of the Academy Awards Broadcast Rights
The Academy of Motionโค Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is โcurrently in negotiations with several potential broadcastโข partners โฃfor the rights โฃto the Oscars telecast,with NBCUniversal emerging as aโข leadingโค contender. The current deal with ABC is nearing its end, perhaps concluding โขa 50-year consecutive run by 2028.
ABC has been the consistent network partner for the Oscarsโ since 1976, following earlier โruns โfrom 1961-1970 โand 1953. However, sourcesโ close to the negotiations indicate ABC is viewed as “less โaggressive” in its pursuit of a new deal. Despite โขthis perception, an ABC insider maintains the network is heavily invested โฃin โits relationship with the Academy, highlighting the value of Disney’sโ corporate synergy – including promotion across theme parks, cruises,โ and โฃprogramming on ABC and Hulu – as a notable asset. They also assert thatโค the recent agreement toโ broadcast the Grammys across Disney’s โplatforms does not diminish โtheir commitment to the Oscars.
NBCUniversal is actively pursuing the rights, building on a history with the telecast thatโค includes broadcasting it on both television and radio in 1953, and again โคfrom 1971-1975.
YouTube, a subsidiary of Google,โค is also a significant โคbidder. Nielsen data shows YouTubeโฃ has become โขtheโ most-connected TV app in both the U.S. and internationally over the past two years.Notably,viewership of clips and speechesโฃ from past Academy Awards broadcasts on YouTube surpassesโ the live event’s viewership on conventional broadcast partners. However, โฃthe Academy would likely โฃdemand a โคsubstantial premium for an โขexclusive digital deal, and industry insiders suggest potential resistance from filmmakersโ and talent concerned about celebrating cinema onโฃ a platform owned by a major โtech โขcompany. โคConcerns have also been raised about the juxtaposition of the Oscars with other content on YouTube, with one โคsource questioning whetherโฃ the ceremony would be followed by contentโ like the popular children’s โขprogram, Ms.โ Rachel.
Financial details remain fluid,โ with some โdiscussions not yet resulting in concrete financial requests. Sources โขindicate ABC currently spends approximately $120 million annually โonโ the Oscars, encompassing rightsโข fees, production costs,โ and institutional support. This figure is considered substantial, particularly given the โฃoverall decline in ratings for awardsโ shows in the streaming era. While this year’s telecast, hostedโฃ by Conan O’Brien, โachieved a โฃfive-year high of 19.69 million viewers acrossโ ABCโข and Hulu, it remains significantly lower then theโฃ nearly 40 million viewers who tuned in a decade ago.
All parties involved – NBCUniversal, ABC, and YouTube – reportedly share a common stance: “We’reโ not overpaying.”
