Hulu's first live Oscars stream cuts out in latest high-profile mishap for streaming platforms

NEW YORK (AP) — Sunday night marked Hulu's first time airing the Oscars live. But its academy awards debut ended on a chaotic and frustratingly premature note.

Hulu's livestream cut off in the final moments of the show — with two major award categories, best actress and best picture, still to be announced because of a scheduling system issue. Those viewing the awards ceremony on Hulu instead saw an error code message that stated the event was over.

Viewer outrage, predictably, ensued online. Fans, including those throwing Oscar-viewing parties, eagerly await the final, pivotal moments of the show.

Hulu viewers missed Mikey Madison and “Anora” win the night's titles for both best actress and best picture in real time.

The Hulu stream also had a rough start, with a few users reporting issues logging on to the platform due to another technical problem. For some, that meant missing the show’s musical intro performed by “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Disney, which has run Hulu since 2019, apologized to viewers.

“Yesterday evening, we experienced technical and live stream issues on Hulu which impacted some Oscars viewers," the company wrote in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday. “We apologize for the experience.”

Disney added that a “full replay” of the event is now available on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, the streamers' bundled offering. That replay includes the final moments of Sunday night's show.

Hulu's foray into the Oscars arrives as more streaming platforms are betting big on live programming of prominent events — from awards shows and pop culture moments, to major sports matchups like the Super Bowl.

Hulu's stumble was not the first among today's biggest streaming platforms.

Netflix users, for example, expressed frustrations with streaming and buffering problems before and during November's widely-watched, livestream fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. And in 2023, the platform's “Love Is Blind” fans also saw a lengthy delay ahead of a reunion special originally set to air live.

The Oscars have aired on ABC for decades. While Sunday marked the first time cord cutters could watch through standard Hulu plans, subscribers of the more expensive Hulu Live TV have been able to tune into the awards show in years past. The show has also continued to be available on other services offering live streaming of ABC, such as YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and FuboTV.

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AP Writer Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report.