An extended-overdue shake-up is coming to Hollywood’s most celebrated evening.
For the primary time in historical past, the Oscars will probably be streamed on Hulu and aired dwell on ABC, making the ceremony extra accessible than ever.
The potential recreation changer, introduced collectively by ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, signifies a big shift in how audiences can have interaction with one of many world’s most prestigious awards reveals. Additionally, the 97th annual ceremony will probably be accessible for on-demand viewing on Hulu the next day, permitting extra followers to expertise the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s greatest evening.
As beforehand introduced, this yr’s emcee will probably be Emmy-winning comic and late-night legend Conan O’Brien, marking his debut on the annual occasion. Live tv maestro Raj Kapoor will return as govt producer and showrunner, persevering with his streak of helming high-profile occasions. He will probably be joined by govt producer Katy Mullan, one other trade veteran recognized for producing visually gorgeous dwell occasions, and Hamish Hamilton, the director behind a number of the most memorable dwell broadcasts, together with Beyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime present.
For years, Oscar fanatics and trade insiders have referred to as for a simulcast of the telecast, citing the significance of embracing altering viewing habits in an more and more digital world. Their pleas have lastly been answered. The transfer to stream dwell on Hulu — a platform with 52 million subscribers — is predicted to provide the present an unprecedented increase in accessibility and viewership.
The Oscars have been driving a wave of a comeback of rising rankings, with the 2024 ceremony drawing 21.5 million viewers, the most important viewers since 2020. This marked the third consecutive yr of viewership development. With the added attain of Hulu, we might see viewership surpassing 30 million, a milestone not seen since 2017 when “Moonlight” famously received greatest image (aka #EnvelopeGate). There’s even potential for greater than 40 million viewers, a feat final achieved in 2014 when “12 Years a Slave” triumphed.
The timing of this transfer couldn’t be extra splendid, because the Oscar race is shaping as much as be probably the most aggressive, numerous and wide-open in years. The slate of potential nominees is predicted to incorporate a mixture of field workplace juggernauts (“Wicked”), genre-defining epics (“Dune: Part Two”), critically acclaimed comedies and dramas (“Anora” and “Conclave”), and, in fact, the most important stars on the earth (i.e. Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Denzel Washington and extra).
The 97th Academy Awards will happen on the iconic Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. A star-studded purple carpet pre-show will start at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The ceremony will probably be broadcast dwell to greater than 200 territories worldwide.
Below is the important thing artwork for the 97th Oscars.
ABC
