YouTube is making a long-shot overture to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to host the Academy Awards.
The Big Picture: YouTube consistently ranks as the most-watched streaming platform on American TVs, according to Nielsen. It’s also been expanding into live events, most notably with its successful run of NFL Sunday Ticket. And while award-show ratings continue to decline, the Oscars remain the most-watched — making them a major coup for the creator-focused platform.
Behind The Scenes: Disney’s ABC has aired the Oscars since 1976. But with the company’s deal with AMPAS ending in 2028, every Hollywood studio is taking a shot for the little gold guy.
ABC is still in the running (even after its exclusive negotiating window closed), with NBCUniversal, CBS, and Netflix also in the mix.
Per Bloomberg, YouTube has now inquired about joining the fray, aiming to make a statement that it’s a real contender for premium rights.
ABC has been paying roughly $100 million annually to broadcast Hollywood’s biggest night, a price YouTube certainly can match.
Final Bid: It remains to be seen whether AMPAS has any interest in moving its marquee event to what has long been Hollywood’s antagonist. There’s already controversy swirling around a potential deal with Netflix, which has long snubbed theatrical releases (though films must screen in theaters in some capacity to qualify for Oscars).
A deal with YouTube would represent an even more radical paradigm shift — this is an organization that just started simulcasting its show on Disney-owned Hulu last year.
Up Next: With the broadcast rights accounting for about 75% of AMPAS’s Oscar-related revenue, YouTube could become a viable option if it offers substantially more than the traditional Hollywood competitors, who are all in the midst of cutting costs.
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