In the glittering world of Hollywood, where spotlights never dim and egos shine brighter than the stars, the Academy Awards - or the Oscars - have long been the ultimate crown jewel. But as the exclusive broadcast deal between ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences winds down after the 2028 ceremony, a fierce bidding war is brewing.
This isn't just another network shuffle; it's a seismic shift in how we consume entertainment. For the first time, digital disruptors are crashing the party, eyeing the rights to air the 100th Oscars in 2028 and beyond. Starting in 2029, the ceremony could land anywhere from a traditional TV giant to a YouTube live stream, reshaping the event's legacy and reach.
ABC, owned by Disney, has been the Oscars' faithful steward since 1961, broadcasting nearly 60 years of tearful speeches, surprise upsets, and that one unforgettable Will Smith slap. The current multi-year pact, inked back in 2016, locks them in through 2028 at a reported fixed annual fee hovering around $75 million - peanuts for Disney's empire but a growing headache amid slumping ratings.
Viewership has plummeted from a peak of over 55 million in 1998 (the Titanic-fueled extravaganza) to a dismal 19.5 million for the 2023 show, the lowest ever. Factors? Blame the rise of streaming, where fragmented audiences binge on-demand rather than tune in live; a perceived self-congratulatory vibe that alienates casual viewers; and an influx of political tangents from A-listers that turn off half the country.
Even shortening the runtime to three hours hasn't stemmed the bleed - 2024's ceremony barely cracked 20 million, down 12% from the year before.
Enter the suitors, a motley crew of media titans hungry for live-event gold. Leading the charge is YouTube, Google's video behemoth, which threw its hat in the ring as early as August 2025. With over 2.5 billion monthly users and a knack for viral moments (remember the Oscars' meme-worthy clips racking up billions of views?), YouTube sees the ceremony as a gateway to mainstream legitimacy.
Imagine unskippable ads during Jimmy Kimmel's monologue or interactive polls for Best Picture - it's not just broadcasting; it's a content ecosystem. YouTube's live streams already draw massive crowds for events like Coachella (over 100 million views in 2023), proving they can handle the scale. For Alphabet, this isn't charity; it's a bet on turning free users into premium subscribers, especially as ad revenue from short-form videos faces regulatory scrutiny.
Hot on their heels is NBCUniversal, the Comcast-owned powerhouse that's no stranger to high-stakes spectacles. Fresh off nailing the 2024 Paris Olympics - pulling in 215 million U.S. viewers across NBC, Peacock, and digital platforms - they're eyeing the Oscars as Peacock's killer app. The streamer, which launched in 2020, has struggled to hit 30 million subscribers, lagging behind Netflix's 280 million.
Live sports and awards shows are Peacock's secret sauce: the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 boosted sign-ups by 634,000 in a single day. For NBCU, the Oscars represent a prestige play - pairing it with their Golden Globes history (they aired it until 2023) could create a "night of nights" package. At a potential $100 million-plus per year, it's a pricey grab, but the upside? Advertisers drool over the demo: affluent 25-54-year-olds who spend big on luxury brands during commercial breaks, generating up to $200 million in ad sales per show.
Don't count out Netflix, the 800-pound gorilla of streaming that's already scooped up 12 Oscars for originals like Roma and The Power of the Dog. Despite reports of bowing out of the latest round (perhaps deterred by Warner Bros. Discovery's aggressive counteroffers elsewhere), Netflix's appetite for live content is insatiable. They've dipped toes with stand-up specials and NFL games, but the Oscars? That would cement their throne as the go-to for Hollywood's elite.
Co-founder Reed Hastings has long preached "all you can watch," and with 70% of 2025's Best Picture nominees hailing from streamers, it makes narrative sense.
The real draw: retention. Live events keep churn low - viewers subscribe for the night, forget to cancel, and stick around for Squid Game season three. In a cord-cutting era where linear TV lost 6 million households in 2024 alone, Oscars rights could juice Netflix's elusive live-ad tier, projected to hit $1 billion in revenue by 2026.
So why does this battle matter beyond the boardrooms? In an age of infinite scrolls and algorithm-driven feeds, the Oscars remain a rare communal ritual - a three-hour pause where America collectively gasps at red-carpet gowns and roots for underdogs.
For broadcasters, it's about survival: live programming commands premium pricing, with Oscars ads fetching $3-5 million per 30 seconds, outpacing even Super Bowl spots on a per-viewer basis.
For the Academy, it's financial oxygen; those broadcast fees fund grants, preservation efforts, and diversity initiatives that have diversified membership from 6,000 in 2016 to over 10,000 today, with 40% women and 20% underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
Yet there's a whisper of fatigue. Traditional partners like ABC might feint a bid for optics - Disney's got enough IP wars with Marvel reboots - but insiders say they're content to bow out gracefully. After all, why overpay for a fading flower when Deadpool & Wolverine grossed $1.3 billion? The real winners? Us, potentially.
A YouTube Oscars could mean global accessibility, real-time subtitles in 100 languages, and AR filters for at-home viewers. Peacock might bundle it with exclusive post-show dissections. Whoever claims the prize, one thing's clear: Hollywood's biggest night is evolving from couch potato staple to streaming spectacle, proving that even in decline, the Oscars still pack a punch worth fighting for. The envelope, please?
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Author: Slava Vasipenok
Founder and CEO of QUASA (quasa.io) - Daily insights on Web3, AI, Crypto, and Freelance. Stay updated on finance, technology trends, and creator tools - with sources and real value.
Innovative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in IT, fintech, and blockchain. Specializes in decentralized solutions for freelancing, helping to overcome the barriers of traditional finance, especially in developing regions.
