Sky Loses UK Oscars Coverage After Two Decades
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: UK film fanatics will no longer be able to watch coverage of the Oscars on Sky. The Comcast-owned pay-TV giant has foregone the rights to show the world’s biggest movie awards ceremony in the UK, following a 20-year run hosting coverage of the LA bash.
Deadline understands rightsholder Disney is close to striking a deal with a new UK buyer. Sky won the rights from the BBC 20 years ago.
It most recently showed the ceremony across four channels: a dedicated Sky Cinema Oscars channel, Sky Showcase, Sky Arts and Sky News, along with streaming service Now TV.
Coverage tended to run from around 11 p.m. GMT, when the red carpet begins, to rougly 5 a.m. GMT. The reasons for Sky pulling away from the Oscars could be multi-faceted but all media networks are feeling the impact of the macroeconomic slump at present, and are looking for cost savings where possible.
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