The Oscars finally set Hulu broadcast and join the streaming era

About damn time: The Oscars are finally going to be live on streaming at the same time as broadcast TV. The 2025 ceremony will stream on Hulu at the same time as it airs on ABC, with the Academy Awards under the stewardship of Disney. As in previous years, the Oscars will air live coast-to-coast at 4 PM P.T. and 7 PM E.T. on ABC and Hulu.

For an awards show that is pretty transparently desperate to increase viewership, it's frankly remarkable that it's taken this long to lock in a simultaneous livestream. The Golden Globes aired on NBC and Peacock in 2023 and then on CBS and Paramount+ with Showtime in 2024 (of course, those in the Paramount+ Essential tier couldn't stream the show, and had to wait for it to be available on the platform the next day). The Grammys have also streamed on Paramount+ since 2023. Earlier this year, it was announced that the Recording Academy made a new 10-year deal with Disney to air the Grammys starting in 2027—and yes, the ceremony will be simulcast on ABC, Hulu, and Disney+.

All to say, it's a wonder that the Oscars are basically the last to get on board for simulcasting. Certainly there are technicalities and rights issues that need to be worked out behind the scenes to make the livestream happen, but given that these big media companies are also transparently desperate to drive audiences to their streaming services, this is an obvious win-win situation. It's also a win for cord-cutting cinephiles, of which there surely are many. 

The 2025 Academy Awards are being hosted by Conan O'Brien. The Oscars shortlist is due out on December 17 (per Deadline), with nominations being announced on January 17.