Featured Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Topics: Film and TV, Oscars, Social Media, Twitter, Hulu, Disney
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Film and TV, Oscars, Social Media, Twitter, Hulu, Disney
Hulu has spoken out after its Oscars coverage experienced some 'issues' and prompted huge backlash online.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony took place on Sunday (March 2) at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Viewers saw Sean Baker's Anora - starring Mikey Madison - sweep up five out of six awards it was nominated for, Halle Berry and Adrien Brody recreating that Oscars kiss 22 years later and Conan O'Brien not holding back with his skits.
Well, most viewers that is.
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Some viewers took to social media reporting their coverage of the ceremony cut out shortly after Baker secured the Academy Award for Best Director - Anora's third of the night - moments before Madison picked up the award for Best Actress and Anora won Best Picture.
One Twitter user said: "Great job @hulu and @hulu_support cutting short the Oscar’s broadcast when there were 2 categories still remaining."
"I AM SO MAD AT YOU RIGHT NOW HULU WHAT THE F**K - I WATCH THREE F**KING HOURS OF OSCARS COVERAGE AND YOU CUT IT OFF ON THE LAST TWO AWARDS?!? @hulu @hulu_support," another added.
A third commented: "What the F @hulu and @hulu_support - #oscars cut off right before best actress and best picture?! Seriously?!"
"Hulu cutting off the Oscars is one of biggest epic fails I've seen a network/platform do in a long time. Somebody screwed up big time. This blunder won't be forgotten for a long time," a fourth wrote.
And a fifth said: "So @hulu just cut the #Oscars feed and won’t allow any playback. C’mon, Disney. What’re you doing?!"
And a spokesperson for Disney - which owns Hulu - has since addressed the controversy, telling the Daily Mail the streaming service 'experienced technical and live stream issues on Hulu which impacted some Oscars viewers'.
The statement continued: "We apologize for the experience and will make a full replay of the event available as soon as possible."
UNILAD has contacted Hulu for comment.
For viewers who missed the final two awards, during her acceptance speech for Best Actress - which marks her first Academy Award - Madison said she'd 'continue to support and be an ally' to the sex worker community alongside noting how 'honored' she is to be 'recognized' alongside the rest of the nominees in the category.
Anora was up for six awards and won five of them for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Actress and Best Picture.
Baker previously told UNILAD: "This is my fifth film that covers the subject matter so each time I do it, it's another individual story that shows a different aspect of sex work but hopefully done in a way that allows audiences to connect with the main character - have empathy for the main character. And remove, or hopefully help remove, the unfair stigma [surrounding the adult industry]."