Hulu Will Stream the 2026 Oscars Live—Will the Feed Drop Before Best Picture Again?

Are the Oscars on Hulu in 2026?

The 2026 Oscars on Hulu are officially a go, marking the second year in a row that subscribers can stream the ceremony live.

The 98th Academy Awards air live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, March 15, 2026. Red carpet coverage kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT), with the main event starting promptly at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) on ABC and Hulu.

Everyone’s favorite friendless comedian, Conan O’Brien, returns for his second consecutive year as host. After his 2025 performance raked in high ratings and critical praise (we can’t unsee Conan’s “The Substance” rebirth), the Academy is betting on his quirky, red-headed wit to carry the night.

The Hulu glitch: What happened at last year’s Oscars?

While the move to live TV streaming was a win for cord-cutters, last year’s broadcast wasn’t without its drama. Many viewers experienced the “Hulu glitch,” in which the stream cut out during the Best Actress presentation because the ceremony ran over its allotted time. (Whoops! Helluva a technical oversight.)

Needless to say, this year’s a crucial test for Hulu’s live infrastructure. Fans are cautiously optimistic about the Oscars on Hulu, hoping the platform has fixed the technical hiccups that left viewers staring at a black screen before the Best Picture announcement.

Nota bene: Keep in mind that Disney is currently merging the standalone Hulu app into Disney+. While you can still use the Hulu app for now, the experience is shifting toward a unified platform by the end of 2026.

Hulu’s 2026 Oscar nominee library is anemic

If you want to catch up on the Best Picture contenders before the big night, you’ll need to binge elsewhere. Despite being the streaming home for the ceremony, Hulu’s current library is a bit of a nominee desert.

Currently, the only 2026 nominee on the platform is the Norwegian beauty-horror film “The Ugly Stepsister,” nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. (A very entertaining take on an old fairytale that’s worth a watch if you can stomach tapeworms, IMO.)

Instant cinema classics like “Sinners” (which leads with a record-breaking 16 nominations) and “One Battle After Another” are streaming on HBO Max, for example.

Curious about what to watch in addition to the Oscars on Hulu? Check out what’s hitting the platform this month in our Hulu March 2026 roundup.

Oscars on Hulu FAQ