NBC, the former home of the Golden Globes, is interested in becoming the future home of the Oscars. Deadline confirmed with sources last month that NBCUniversal has had conversations with the Academy about taking in the awards show after its current deal with ABC expires after the 2028 ceremony.
The move is logical since NBCUniversal hasn’t had a major awards show since dropping the Globes in 2023, with the company nurturing their own fan-based People’s Choice Awards franchise. In the live entertainment special arena, NBCU has had a lot of success in the past few years with the venerable Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, which has been breaking viewership records.
NBCU is joining YouTube, which threw its hat into the Oscar ring over the summer. Amazon also had been rumored as a potential candidate to carry the Academy Awards thought the extent of its interest is unclear.
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Netflix, which streams the Actor Awards (fka SAG Awards) as a way to bring stars to the platform, has not pursued the Oscars and has no intention to do so, sources said.
The Oscars have been in play since this spring when the Academy’s exclusive negotiating window with the ceremony’s longtime broadcaster ABC lapsed. Sources said at the time that the Academy had asked for more money than what the network was prepared to offer in the form of a license-fee increase, leading to a stalemate and the organization’s move to shop the marquee awards to other networks and platforms.
According to sources, ABC parent Disney and the Academy have not had conversations since, with the door open for the Oscars governing body to reengage with its longterm broadcast partner.
Meanwhile, Disney is preparing for the arrival of the Grammy Awards in 2027.