After 50 years at Disney/ABC, the Oscars might be looking for a new home, and it might come in the form of a partnership with the biggest streamer in the world.
Last year, Disney and AMPAS were negotiating a deal worth more than $100M per year, but conversations have stalled since then. The current contract deal is supposed to end by 2028. The problem is that AMPAS wants more money, and given the lackluster ratings, Disney does not.
Bloomberg is reporting that AMPAS has spoken to Netflix about a potential new deal for 2028 and beyond. The piece goes on to state some interest from other networks, but who are we kidding here, if the goal is to have someone overpay to acquire future Oscar telecasts then look no further than Netflix.
Oscars viewership in the US has collapsed more than 60% since its peak years in the late 1990s and is half of what it was just a decade ago. We still don’t have the numbers for last night’s telecast, but it’s already being reported that it’ll be considerably below last year’s “Barbie” vs “Oppenheimer” showdown.