Oscars TV Rights Auction Heats Up: Netflix Out and NBCUniversal Is Ahead as ABC Holds the Line (EXCLUSIVE)

Key Highlights

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been seeking a new broadcast licensing agreement for the better part of 2025 – an all-important strategic partnership and revenue source that keeps the AMPAS coffers full, and the industry focused on glorifying movies for theaters as the highest art form in the town (anything else happen today that could threaten theatrical movies?).
• The Academy is seeking a deal term of 5-10 years for its next contract, numerous sources said.
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• Over the summer, media reports said a slew of unconventional buyers had come into the mix as potential suitors, including Netflix and YouTube.
• The field has narrowed as concerns swirl over the real cost of mounting the Oscars in a sector wracked with financial anxiety.