NEW YORK – Hulu ventured into new territory on Sunday night by streaming the Oscars live for the first time. However, this debut was met with unexpected disruption as the stream ended prematurely, leaving the audience in suspense just before the announcement of the awards for best actress and best picture. Due to a scheduling mishap, Hulu’s audience was abruptly met with an error message suggesting the event had concluded.
Naturally, this sparked outrage among viewers, particularly those participating in Oscar-viewing parties, who were anticipating the climax of the awards ceremony. As a consequence, Hulu’s audience missed witnessing Mikey Madison and the film “Anora” receiving the most prestigious awards on the evening. This disappointment came after a rocky start, where users reported difficulties accessing the stream due to technical issues, causing some to miss the initial music performance by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Disney, which has managed Hulu since 2019, issued an apology to the viewers. In their statement on Monday, the company acknowledged the technical and streaming issues that affected some viewers during the Oscars and expressed their regret. Disney also provided reassurance that a complete replay of the event, including the crucial final moments, is now available on both Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
The move to broadcast the Oscars live is part of a larger trend among streaming services, which are increasingly investing in live coverage of major events such as awards ceremonies and significant sports matches like the Super Bowl. While some streaming attempts have been successful, others, including Hulu’s recent experience, have faced challenges. For example, Netflix faced criticism after viewers encountered streaming issues during the highly anticipated livestream of the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight. Additionally, Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” suffered delays during a live reunion special, and CBS All Access had its own streaming problems during the 2021 Super Bowl.
Hulu itself is no stranger to live streaming glitches. In 2018, certain users of its live TV service experienced a cut-off during the 2018 Super Bowl, attributed to technical problems affecting NBC feeds. Despite such setbacks, Hulu expressed confidence in its ability to prevent similar issues in future live streams. While the broadcasting rights for the Super Bowl change hands frequently, the Oscars have been a staple on ABC for years, with the current arrangement extending through to 2028.
This year marked a new opportunity for viewers without cables, as the Oscars became accessible through standard Hulu subscriptions. Previously, only Hulu Live TV subscribers could access the live broadcast, but now the show is also available on several other services that stream ABC live, including YouTubeTV, AT&T TV, and FuboTV.
