Making Creator Headlines · Page 4

The Oscars Pursue a Global Audience and Finally Let the Red Carpet Meet a Free Stream

October 28, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDT · New York time

The Academy plans to keep expanding the Oscars internationally, including by recruiting members in underrepresented countries and streaming the ceremony free on YouTube, its leaders said in Tokyo. Chief executive Bill Kramer said the share of Academy members living outside the United States has grown from around 5% to 25% over a decade. Kramer described Parasite's best picture win as a pivot and a shift. The growth in international membership reflects an effort to bring more perspectives into an institution closely identified with Hollywood. A larger audience for the ceremony, meanwhile, could let more viewers encounter the awards without relying on the traditional broadcast arrangement. The Academy's challenge is both practical and cultural. It wants its honors to travel farther while retaining the prestige attached to the ceremony. More members from different places can bring different viewing experiences to the voting body; a free stream gives the event a route into more homes and onto more devices. For decades, the Oscars have invited the world to look toward a red carpet in Los Angeles. Now the organization is putting more emphasis on reaching the world where it already watches. The gowns remain formal. The invitation can arrive beside a play button.

Satire. Not factual reporting. Read the original reporting from the linked publishers.