Watching the Oscars, I mildly enjoyed the jokes about the awards show moving to YouTube in 2029. Mainly, I wondered why anyone would really care. I guess it means that if I want to see the awards, I better figure out how to get YouTube on my TV. Big deal.
Do I have any fear of missing out? Not really. I know that the Oscars will be free on YouTube. It bothers me that so many things I want to see are only available on a paid app. But if I really want to see something on one of those apps, I’ll get a subscription (okay, free trial if I can’t borrow one!)
The Academy Awards will be moving from ABC to YouTube starting in 2029. (Photo credit: Elliott Cowand Jr / Shutterstock.com)
Do I worry that everything is moving in this direction, like live sports and other must-see events? Yes. I like the idea of the highest bidder paying creators for great content, making it more valuable, I suppose. But I don’t want to pay more myself or have any harder time finding things.
My kids and I love it when their 80-year-old grandparents ask: “What channel is it on?” That’s almost as good as: “What time does it start?” Both questions are, of course, irrelevant to this generation of viewers.
For younger fans, moving to YouTube probably makes the Oscars feel more natural and accessible. For others, like my father-in-law, it mostly feels like yet another app to wrangle. The race to secure exclusives assumes viewers follow the platform. In reality, many may just feel more confused and annoyed. These are perception problems as much as distribution challenges—how we feel about the brands involved, and whether the experience feels simple or exhausting.
I sure don’t want any more subscriptions. Subscriptions I probably will never use. Subscriptions I will definitely forget to cancel.
All of this adds up to frustration, at least on my part. Why can’t some app play me whatever I want, whenever I want it, even if I don’t even know I want it?
What do real consumers think of all this movement? How frustrated are they? The Oscars have been on ABC for over 50 years. The Grammys were on CBS for 54 years. We knew the NFL was on Sundays and Mondays, and which networks to find it on. Now it’s on Thursdays and Saturdays? And on Netflix and Peacock?? Maybe the audience cares, maybe they don’t. But we need to find out.
I am beginning to feel like I would be better off going back to basic cable. Does that mean it won’t be long until I start asking my kids, “What channel is it on?” or “What time does it start?”
P.S. What do these ramblings have to do with Coleman Insights’ media research? More details in future blogs when I share how we’re helping media and streaming brands untangle these perception issues with actual data.
