Hulu Screws Up Oscarcast Stream

[Mark Jeffries]

First of all, there were tech issues that kept subscribers from logging on right before 7 p.m. ET, when the Disney streamer was scheduled to stream the Oscars for the first time (which included Disney+ subscribers unable to get on the Hulu tile for those who have the "Disney Bundle")--and then, at 10:30 p.m. ET, forgetting that almost all award shows run over, Hulu pulled the plug on the stream with the big awards yet to be handed out:

https://www.thewrap.com/hulu-oscars-glitch-what-happened/

The show went around 20 minutes over--the season premiere of "Idol" started at around 10:50 p.m., with the local news around 11:20--people are noting that Netflix's stream of the SAG awards went without a hitch and that ABC/Disney's deal with the Academy runs out in 2028.

[Adam Bowie]

As it happened, I thought I'd try a VPN and fire up my Disney+ app to see if it worked. Disney+ in the UK is basically Hulu & Disney+ combined. So I guess that's how I get treated when I'm "abroad" because it gave me the Oscars, and the stream worked well for the brief period I bothered watching. The Oscars moved from Sky Cinema (audience tiny) to ITV (audience 500,000 or so) this year. But I confess I went to bed rather than stay up. 

I liked Anora, enjoyed Conclave, thoroughly enjoyed the madness of The Substance, loved Dune 2, but haven't yet seen many of the other major films. The Brutalist will get watched when I can find a spare day, and I definitely do want to see A Real Pain. 

I can't see the Academy selling the Oscars to Netflix. Sure, they'll get a decent global audience (although a regular reminder that much of the world is asleep or going to work on a Monday morning when the awards are being handed out, so the timings are terrible for anyone not in the Americas). But it'd be doing a deal with the devil! When even Greta Gerwig can only get a modest theatrical deal from Netflix for her upcoming Narnia movie, why would they sell the rights to a company that doesn't actually believe in theatrical, the bedrock of the industry? 

Maybe there were glitches this time, but Disney will sort them, and indeed must do so before it launches its ESPN service later in the year.

Adam

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[PGage]

Agree on Netflix. If there was a theme last night it was: “Watch films in theaters!” Netflix seems unlikely to change their basic mission of redesigning people’s movie consumption habits into streaming only ( despite the Greta deal).

I thought the movies this years were mostly okay to good, but dew were very good or great. I loved Complete Unknown and Wicked, but could not stand Perez or The Substance. Really recommend “”I’m Sill Here”. Anora was aight ( I liked it better when it was called Pretty Woman) but for the life of me do not see what all the fuss is about. How can it be about empowering Sex Workers when the whole movie all you can think about is why such a worldly cynical young woman could be so dumb about a John? Of the films with a chance I was hoping for Conclave, thinking the daily newspaper is basically a commercial for the film. But not enough.

I thought the show last night was good. The opening was spectacular, good enough to power through some weak spots. I did not know any of the women singing the Bond songs, but my kids assured me on the family chat they were all super popular either way the young folks, so I guess worth a try. Conan was Conan, and his basic goodness and self deprecation make him easy to take for 4 hours.

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