1 of 1- RadioActive
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Watch The Broadcast Version Of The Oscars Sunday While You Still Can
The names vary year-to-year but the one constant the Academy Awards has always boasted is it presence on network television, usually ABC. The Oscars takes place as usual this year on Sunday night, with Conan O'Brien hosting. It will be back for the next two years before this annual TV ratings getter changes, perhaps for good.
As noted here last December, the big show honouring the best in movies will be moving exclusively to YouTube in 2029. The online streamer has the rights until 2033, when the bidding will begin to see who keeps it - or who else gets it.
It's a sign of the times for the current state of broadcasting. Never before has such a huge staple of traditional TV gone exclusively online. I'm not a big viewer of the event, but I wonder if O'Brien will make any references to the coming switch in his monologue or during the show. Whether it does better or worse in the ratings once it's online alone remains to be seen, but i suspect its worldwide availability will only make it a bigger show.
According to one media expert, this could just be the start of addition by subtraction for traditionally big TV events on the web.
“If you didn’t think big tech was coming for legacy media, you haven’t been paying attention,” said Joey Morona, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer’s resident pop culture expert. “I wouldn’t be shocked if the Super Bowl is next.”
Imagine the uproar that would cause.
When will the Oscar broadcast move from ABC to YouTube?
- RadioAaron
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Re: Watch The Broadcast Version Of The Oscars Sunday While You Still Can
The Superbowl moving to YouTube would make it far more accessible.
- mace
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Re: Watch The Broadcast Version Of The Oscars Sunday While You Still Can
I haven't watched the Academy Awards for decades. 1. I haven't seen any of the movies nominated and mostly don't care to. 2. I have zero interest in the Hollywood Elite prattle on with their opinions about the state of affairs in the world today. Say your thank you's quickly and get the hell off the stage. Show would be done in two hours.
- RadioActive
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Let the complaints begin! This happens every year. (But how many of those not mentioned were actually known for being in movies?)
Oscars In Memoriam Excludes James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane, Brigittte Bardot, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and More
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Thread Starter- Radiowiz
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Re: Watch The Broadcast Version Of The Oscars Sunday While You Still Can
It's sad that Conan was "killed off" at the end of the 2026 Oscars.
Clearly they were kidding, but I don't get the joke.
Did it simply mean his contract is up and he's not returning ever again to host?
Last edited by Radiowiz (March 16, 2026 12:10 am)
- turkeytop
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mace wrote:
I haven't watched the Academy Awards for decades. 1. I haven't seen any of the movies nominated and mostly don't care to. 2. I have zero interest in the Hollywood Elite prattle on with their opinions about the state of affairs in the world today. Say your thank you's quickly and get the hell off the stage. Show would be done in two hours.
Yes. Yes Yes. I take a certain amount of satisfaction in saying I have never ever watched it.
Last edited by turkeytop (March 16, 2026 12:38 am)
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- Paul Jeffries
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Say your thank you's quickly and get the hell off the stage.
I believe Ricky Gervais has said something to that effect, although in slightly earthier language. 
PJ
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- tvguy
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It's sad that Conan was "killed off" at the end of the 2026 Oscars.
Clearly they were kidding, but I don't get the joke.
Did it simply mean his contract is up and he's not returning ever again to host?
If you had seen "One battle after another" you might recall that this was one of the final scenes of the movie where the villain "Lockjaw" is offered a lifetime job, and they recreated the scene where he was killed...I suspect millions of viewers didn't "get it".
- tvguy
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Did anyone watch OTA on WKBW Digital? I found the audio to be very uneven, almost "muddy" at times, or perhaps out of phase. I kept checking the settings on my audio system, which seemed to be operating properly. Did anyone else experience problems with the audio? On one segment the "tribute to bridesmaids" several of the speakers could not be heard clearly...although Kristin Wigg's mic was loud and clear. Was it ABC or WKBW which was experiencing audio problems. Also the levels for the announcer who was allegedly in the UK, were awful...too low.
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Did anyone watch OTA on WKBW Digital? I found the audio to be very uneven, almost "muddy" at times, or perhaps out of phase. I kept checking the settings on my audio system, which seemed to be operating properly. Did anyone else experience problems with the audio? On one segment the "tribute to bridesmaids" several of the speakers could not be heard clearly...although Kristin Wigg's mic was loud and clear. Was it ABC or WKBW which was experiencing audio problems. Also the levels for the announcer who was allegedly in the UK, were awful...too low.
It wasn't Channel 7 and it wasn't just you.
Opinion: The Oscars reminded us why sound is so important
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Thread Starter- tvguy
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Thanks, this just in from the NY Times.Worst Sound Mixing: The Show’s AudioThis ceremony certainly wasn’t going to win an Oscar for sound mixing. For those watching at home, the audio was at various points muddled, echo-y and just plain inaudible. When Barbra Streisand paid tribute to Robert Redford during the In Memoriam segment, her words were drowned out by the piano, an effect akin to listening through a glass against a wall. “F1” won for best sound, but clearly, the academy skipped a pit stop.
- tvguy
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One other observation. Some advertisers created commercials for the telecast, that were "super bowl" worthy. Watching ABC over the air, there were superb Rolex ads. The most surprising was an apology ad from Burger King which basically said the quality of their product sucked, their "Burger King Mascot" sucks, and they have to do better. I've never seen a mea culpa ad of that sort. There were also some creative cell phone ads, I saw at least two ads for drug manufacturers which stressed the need for R&D. The ads were a rebuke to RFK Jr.'s crusade against vaccines, etc.
- mace
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Re: Watch The Broadcast Version Of The Oscars Sunday While You Still Can
Say your thank you's quickly and get the hell off the stage.
I believe Ricky Gervais has said something to that effect, although in slightly earthier language.
So "earthy" that a bleep would be necessary for broadcast television?
PJ
- Paul Jeffries
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Re: Watch The Broadcast Version Of The Oscars Sunday While You Still Can
Say your thank you's quickly and get the hell off the stage.
I believe Ricky Gervais has said something to that effect, although in slightly earthier language.
So "earthy" that a bleep would be necessary for broadcast television?
PJ
Essentially, yes.
PJ
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