Oscars Eye New TV Home as ABC’s Exclusive Deal Ends

As the 2025 Oscars season wraps up, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is setting its sights on the 2029 Oscars and the years that follow. According to reliable sources, the Academy’s exclusive negotiation period with ABC, the longtime broadcaster of the Oscars, has ended, and it is anticipated that they will start offering the broadcasting rights to other networks and streaming services.

Both the Academy and ABC have opted not to comment on these developments, which were initially reported by Bloomberg.

Sources indicate that the main sticking point is the Academy’s request for a higher licensing fee, which has led to the lapse of the exclusive negotiation window without a renewal of the contract. Previously, ABC secured an eight-year contract in August 2016, which was agreed upon well before the previous contract expired after the 2020 Oscars.

Reports have noted that under the current agreement, which concludes in 2028, ABC pays approximately $100 million annually to broadcast the Oscars. Although the ratings are still strong, with 19.5 million viewers tuning in live or on the same day last year, these numbers are significantly lower than the viewership in the 1990s, 2000s, and early 2010s.

Broadcasting Challenges

This year marked the Oscars’ first venture into live streaming, with a simulcast on Hulu that experienced several technical issues.

ABC has been the broadcast home for the Oscars since 1976, following early years of switching between ABC and NBC. The network and the Academy have generally maintained a good relationship over their 50-year partnership. However, tensions have arisen as ABC attempted various changes to the Oscars’ format to boost ratings. These changes involved emphasizing popular categories and excluding some technical awards from the live broadcast, which faced pushback. Unlike the Grammys, which has evolved into more of a live concert experience, the Oscars have maintained a more traditional approach.

While ABC is interested in continuing its relationship with the Oscars, it aims to do so at a reduced cost. This situation mirrors recent developments with the Grammys, which, after seeking a higher licensing fee, was moved from CBS to Disney in a deal involving ABC, Hulu, and Disney+ worth $70 million a year, as reported by Bloomberg.

Disney, the parent company of ABC, remains open to keeping the Oscars unless another platform makes a more lucrative offer. Major players with the financial capability and global reach, such as Netflix and Amazon, are potential contenders, though Amazon’s approach of prioritizing streaming exclusivity might be contentious.

During his Oscar acceptance speech for Best Directing, Sean Baker of the movie Anora emphasized the importance of cinema as a shared experience, something that cannot be replicated at home.

This sentiment resonates with many prominent figures in Hollywood.

The success of Anora, an indie film with modest box office returns that swept the Oscars, highlights the impact of independent films on the awards show’s ratings.

As major awards shows shuffle their broadcast partnerships—with the Grammys moving to Disney/ABC and the Golden Globes to CBS—it raises the question of whether the Oscars might also change networks, possibly to NBC/Comcast.

“We’ll address that when the time comes,” stated an Academy source to Deadline regarding the upcoming negotiations for a new broadcasting contract.