Oscar broadcasting rights auction heats up: Netflix drops out, NBC Universal and YouTube are active.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the United States has been seeking a new broadcast rights agreement for most of 2025. Multiple sources revealed that the Academy hopes the next contract will last 5 to 10 years. Two sources familiar with the current negotiations revealed that Netflix has withdrawn from the bidding. Three sources familiar with discussions related to the Academy said that NBCUniversal, as an interested party, has made progress. An insider familiar with the current negotiations stated that a particularly attractive selling point for the Academy is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics - at that time NBCUniversal can leverage a large amount of marketing synergies to build momentum for the Oscars, which will be broadcast for the first time in 2029. Sources also pointed out that YouTube is still an active participant in the bidding process. An individual very familiar with YouTube's business pointed out that the viewing figures for past Oscars clips and acceptance speeches on the YouTube platform are much higher than the viewing figures for the live events themselves. In addition, two sources expressed skepticism about whether longtime partner ABC would ultimately reach a new agreement, believing that the network's "enthusiasm is not as strong as other participants".