Hulu Plagued by Outage During 2025 Oscars Broadcast, Frustrating Thousands of Viewers
Los Angeles, CA – Just as Hollywood’s elite gathered to celebrate the best in film at the 97th Academy Awards, thousands of Hulu subscribers were left in the dark, unable to access the streaming service to watch the highly anticipated ceremony. The outage, which began shortly before the live broadcast of the Oscars on ABC and Hulu, sparked widespread frustration and disappointment among viewers eager to witness the glitz, glamour, and momentous awards being handed out.
According to Downdetector, a website that monitors online outages, more than 34,000 Hulu subscribers reported problems accessing the platform on Sunday evening. The timing of the outage couldn’t have been worse, coinciding precisely with the start of the Oscars telecast, an event widely considered to be the entertainment industry’s biggest night. The annual award ceremony commenced at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (4 p.m. Pacific Time), but Hulu users quickly discovered they were unable to connect to the live stream.
The red carpet pre-show, hosted by Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer, which aired at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT, may have been accessible to some users, but the real issues began surfacing just before the main event, leaving many scrambling for alternative ways to watch the Oscars. Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) quickly became flooded with complaints from Hulu subscribers expressing their anger and disappointment over the service disruption. Many users shared screenshots of error messages and loading screens, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem.
The outage affected not only viewers hoping to watch the Oscars live but also those who may have planned to record the ceremony for later viewing. This meant that the disruption impacted a broad spectrum of Hulu subscribers, from dedicated film buffs to casual viewers simply looking to enjoy a night of entertainment.
Hulu acknowledged the issue and issued a statement on X and their website, stating, "Having issues logging in? If so – we’re on it! Our team is actively investigating, and we hope to have things back up and running soon." The statement, while reassuring to some, offered little in the way of concrete details regarding the cause of the outage or an estimated time for resolution.
In response to individual users on social media, Hulu offered similar apologies, stating that they were "currently investigating this with a high priority." Despite these assurances, the lack of specific information left many subscribers feeling frustrated and uncertain about when they would be able to access the streaming service again.
The timing of the outage raised questions about Hulu’s infrastructure and its ability to handle peak traffic during high-profile events like the Oscars. Streaming services often experience surges in viewership during live broadcasts, and it is crucial for these platforms to have robust systems in place to accommodate the increased demand. The failure to do so can result in widespread outages and a significant loss of customer trust.
The Hulu outage also underscored the reliance of modern viewers on streaming services for accessing live events. As traditional cable television continues to decline in popularity, streaming platforms have become the primary source of entertainment for many. However, incidents like this highlight the potential risks associated with relying solely on online services, particularly when it comes to critical events like the Oscars.
The blackout occurred as the Oscars celebrated a year of remarkable cinematic achievements. The ceremony itself was packed with memorable moments, including Kieran Culkin’s win for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "A Real Pain." Those who were relying on Hulu missed out on these memorable moments, and many took to social media to express their anger, feeling cheated. The outage effectively robbed thousands of viewers of the ability to participate in the collective experience of watching the Oscars live.
This incident is not isolated. Other streaming services have also experienced technical difficulties during popular events, pointing to a broader challenge in ensuring the reliability of online platforms under heavy load. The demand for streaming services continues to rise, placing greater pressure on companies to invest in their infrastructure and implement strategies to prevent outages.
Hulu’s failure to provide a clear timeline for the restoration of service further fueled the frustration among subscribers. Many users questioned whether they would be able to watch the Oscars at all, either live or on demand. The lack of communication from Hulu left viewers feeling uninformed and uncertain about the situation.
This incident is likely to impact Hulu’s reputation and may cause subscribers to reconsider their subscription to the service. In an increasingly competitive streaming landscape, reliability is a key factor in attracting and retaining customers. Outages like this can erode customer loyalty and damage a company’s brand image. Hulu will need to take steps to address the underlying causes of the outage and communicate transparently with subscribers to regain their trust.
The situation serves as a stark reminder of the challenges involved in delivering reliable streaming services, particularly during live events. The incident will undoubtedly prompt Hulu and other streaming platforms to review their infrastructure and contingency plans to minimize the risk of future outages. For many viewers, the 2025 Oscars will be remembered not for the awards themselves, but for the frustrating experience of being unable to watch the ceremony due to a widespread Hulu outage.
The writer of the original article, Saman Shafiq, a trending news reporter for USA TODAY, can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7 for more updates.
