Oscars TV Rights Shake-Up: Why NBC, Netflix and ABC Are Fighting Over Hollywood’s Biggest Night
As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences quietly shops the Oscars’ U.S. TV rights for 2029 and beyond, NBCUniversal has jumped into the lead while Netflix bows out and ABC digs in, setting up a high-stakes showdown that could redefine how Hollywood’s biggest awards show reaches viewers in the streaming era.
Why the Oscars TV Rights Fight Matters Right Now
Eight weeks out from Oscar nominations, the real drama isn’t just on red carpets and in studio awards campaigns. Behind the scenes, the Academy is running a high-value auction for broadcast and streaming rights to the Academy Awards starting with the 2029 ceremony. According to Variety’s exclusive reporting, NBCUniversal is currently in pole position, Netflix has stepped away, and Disney’s ABC—the show’s long-time home—is holding its ground.
The Post-Streaming Awards Landscape: From “Must-See TV” to Fragmented Fandom
For decades, the Oscars sat alongside the Super Bowl and Grammys as appointment television: one night, one channel, one giant audience. That monoculture has eroded. Viewers are now scattered across streaming platforms, TikTok feeds, and international social streams. Awards telecasts have become more like live brand activations than mass family events.
The Academy is wrestling with two competing truths:
- Ratings are down: The Oscars no longer guarantee the 30–40 million viewers they once did.
- Cultural footprint is still huge: Social chatter, memes, red-carpet looks, and controversy often travel farther than the linear broadcast itself.
“In the streaming age, live events are the last, best way to get millions of people watching the same thing at the same time.”
That logic explains why the Oscars remain desirable even in a down market. For studios, streamers, and talent agencies, the show is a three-hour commercial for the global film ecosystem. For a media company, it is rare live inventory with affluent, ad-friendly viewers who still care enough to watch in real time.
The Contenders: NBCUniversal vs. ABC vs. the Streamers
Variety’s reporting paints a three-lane race: an aggressive NBCUniversal, a defensive ABC, and a streaming sector that’s more cautious than expected.
NBCUniversal: The Heir Apparent?
NBCUniversal, powered by Comcast, is currently seen as the frontrunner. The logic is fairly straightforward:
- Live-event pedigree: NBC already hosts the Golden Globes, the Emmys (on a rotating basis), and the Olympics.
- Dual-platform strategy: Any Oscars deal would almost certainly combine NBC broadcast with Peacock streaming rights.
- Advertiser synergies: NBCU’s sales machine is built around cross-platform ad packages and brand partnerships.
A Peacock simulcast would let NBCUniversal chase younger viewers who refuse to return to cable while keeping the traditional broadcast audience intact. Think of it as a belt-and-suspenders approach to prestige TV.
ABC and Disney: Fighting Not to Lose the Crown
ABC has been the Oscars’ U.S. broadcast home since 1976, so this is more than just another licensing deal. It’s part of Disney’s identity as the company that hosts America’s big culture nights, from the Oscars to New Year’s Eve specials.
But the economics have shifted. ABC is in a transitional phase as Disney weighs potential partnerships or partial divestitures of its linear assets. Paying top-of-market for a declining ratings property is a tougher ask than it was pre-streaming.
“The Oscars still deliver prestige and global chatter, but the math isn’t as simple as it was in the ‘Titanic’ era.”
Netflix Bows Out: A Strategic No
The biggest twist in Variety’s piece is that Netflix—once seen as the great disruptor poised to snatch the Oscars from broadcast—has reportedly stepped away from the auction.
It makes sense when you look at Netflix’s current priorities:
- Selective live events: Netflix is dabbling in live (comedy specials, sports-adjacent properties), but only when it perfectly fits its brand and tech roadmap.
- Cost discipline: Shelling out nine figures for a single annual night of live TV doesn’t line up neatly with its subscription-driven model.
- Awards influence without the bill: Netflix already dominates awards chatter thanks to its film slate; it doesn’t need to own the telecast to win trophies.
Follow the Money: What the Oscars Are Really Selling
The Oscars’ rights auction is not just about one night of TV. It’s about who gets:
- Advertising premium: High-priced spots from studios, streamers, luxury brands, tech, and automotive advertisers.
- Promotional power: Weeks of in-house promos across a network’s ecosystem, from talk shows to streaming carousels.
- Brand halo: The cachet of being “the home of the Oscars,” which still carries weight with talent and marketers.
Even with viewer erosion, the Oscars offer something priceless in 2020s media: cultural concentration. For three hours, the global film conversation is largely focused on one live event. That’s leverage the Academy is trying to monetize before linear television shrinks further.
Broadcast vs. Streaming: What the Next Oscars Deal Might Look Like
However the deal shakes out, a few structural elements are almost guaranteed:
- Simulcast model: Linear broadcast plus a streaming option (Peacock for NBC, Disney+ or Hulu for ABC).
- Second-screen integration: Companion content on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels feeding back into the main show.
- Data-driven sponsorships: Interactive ads, QR codes, shoppable red-carpet fashion segments, and targeted digital campaigns.
The Academy has to balance tradition with experimentation. Older viewers still expect a glamorous, relatively formal telecast. Younger viewers may only ever watch best-clip compilations and memeable moments. The next partner will need to program to both audiences at once.
“If the Super Bowl is America’s sports holiday, the Oscars are still its culture summit—just now they’re competing with every screen in your house.”
What This Means for Viewers, Filmmakers, and the Industry
For casual viewers, where the Oscars land will shape how easy the show is to watch. An NBC+Peacock package, for example, could make live streaming more straightforward than the current network-authentication maze. An ABC renewal would likely deepen Disney’s cross-promotions with Hulu and Disney+, creating more behind-the-scenes content and nominated-film hubs.
For filmmakers and studios, the stakes are reputational as much as financial. A partner that invests in marketing, global reach, and streaming discoverability could help nominated films cut through the noise in an already crowded market. For the Academy, choosing a partner is choosing what kind of future it imagines for itself: legacy broadcast tentpole, digital-first live event, or some hybrid that hasn’t quite been invented yet.
Final Take: The Oscars as a Test Case for TV’s Next Era
The Oscars TV rights auction is less about which logo appears before the broadcast and more about what kind of media ecosystem will define the late 2020s. NBCUniversal’s current lead reflects how valuable live tentpoles remain to traditional networks trying to stay relevant in a streaming-centric world. ABC’s resistance shows that prestige is hard to surrender, even when spreadsheets get uncomfortable. Netflix’s retreat underscores a new pragmatism among streamers that once seemed willing to buy anything that moved.
When the dust settles, the winning bidder won’t just inherit a three-hour show. They’ll inherit a question: can one night still unite a fractured audience around the same stories, the same stars, and the same art form? However the deal is inked, the answer will tell us a lot about whether “live TV” is evolving or just slowly giving up the stage.
