The biggest night in movies is officially here: The curtains are going up on the Academy Awards tonight, Sunday, March 2, and some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry will soon be taking the stage as presenters, performers and, potentially, new Oscar winners.

The 2025 Oscars celebrates movies that came out in 2024, with high-profile titles like The Brutalist, Wicked, Anora, Emilia Perez and Dune: Part Two expected to scoop up awards across various categories — though diehard Oscar watchers are primed for some surprise upsets and dark-horse wins.

If there are still a few films you need to catch up on before tonight's big telecast, you're going to want to know how to watch all of the Oscar nominees. (How else are you going to impress the guests at your Oscars viewing party later with all of your correct guesses in every single award category?)

And you'll also have to know how you can watch the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony live from around the world — here's everything you know for a star-studded Oscars Sunday tonight.

How to watch the 2025 Oscars in the US

In the US, the 2025 Oscars ceremony will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2, from 7pm ET/4pm PT. (Note that the start time is an hour earlier than in past years, when the Oscars would typically start at 8pm ET/5pm PT.)

You can watch the ceremony in one place and one place only: on ABC, or whatever your local affiliate station for the basic cable channel is. Easy breezy!

Statistically speaking, you probably already have access to ABC, but if you don't — or would rather watch the Oscars online — a few live TV streaming services will let you live stream ABC over the internet. Fubo, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV all let you stream ABC as well as a wide variety of other channels. The former offers a Fubo free trial, which may sway subscribers, but you can see prices for all below.

The show will also be streaming on-demand on Hulu, with subscribers also able to catch up on the show after it's been broadcast. Hulu costs $9.99 per month for its ad tier or $18.99 ad-free, or $10.99 as part of the basic Disney Bundle.

How to watch the 2025 Oscars in the UK

The 2025 Oscars airing earlier than normal is great news in the UK, given how late the ceremony starts, but you're still going to be up until the early hours watching it. The ceremony is being broadcast on Sunday, March 2, with coverage of the red-carpet arrivals kicking off at 10:30pm GMT and the awards ceremony commencing at midnight. The show will conclude around 3:05am GMT.

The show will be aired live on ITV1, so you can use it on your TV or using ITVX if you'd rather watch it online on a computer or your phone. We've got a guide on how to watch live TV using ITVX here.

Both options are, of course, free to license fee payers.

How to watch the 2025 Oscars in Australia

The 2025 Oscars fall at a fairly reasonable hour in Australia, albeit technically a day late: the ceremony is set to begin at 11am on Monday, March 3 and end around 1:30pm.

You can watch a live stream of the event for free online by using the streaming service 7Plus, or using your TV on Channel 7.

How to watch the 2025 Oscars everywhere else

The Oscars will be broadcasting around the world, with the Academy sharing the exact place where viewers can watch it in various countries right here.

However, if you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch the Oscars, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) will solve any viewing problems you might normally run into.

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to the Oscars or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

How to watch the 2025 Oscars red carpet

Even before the awards start getting handed out, the Oscars night is already an exciting affair thanks to the glamorous fashions being paraded down the red carpet by the event's illustrious attendees. The biggest names in the movie industry will be heading to Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre tonight for the 97th annual Academy Awards, including famously stylish nominees like Cynthia Erivo, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Colman Domingo, Demi Moore and Zoe Saldaña, and we're making sure you don't miss one glitzy minute.

Ahead of tonight's 2025 Oscars telecast, ABC will begin its official red-carpet pre-show at 6:30pm Eastern Time, which will air live on the alphabet network and stream live on Hulu, with hosts Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer as your guides for the evening.

However, if you want to get the sartorial fun started even earlier, E! will kick off its own pre-show fashion coverage, Live From E!: The Oscars, beginning at 4pm ET. Hosted by Access Hollywood's Zuri Hall, the E! show will feature interviews with the night's biggest stars, no doubt including host Conan O'Brien and big-name presenters like Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Andrew Garfield, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miley Cyrus, Oprah Winfrey and more.

Both ABC and E! are included in most cable packages. However, if you don't have cable, live TV streaming services will enable you to watch the ceremony as it airs, including Fubo, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV.

While we’ve flipped the calendar to 2025, Hollywood still has some 2024 business to take care of. Namely, the Oscars 2025, aka the 97th Academy Awards, which will recognize many of the best movies and performances from the roster of 2024 new movies.

While the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and other ceremonies are key stops in the awards season, the Oscars remain the pinnacle, as does its coveted Best Picture prize. Adding to the excitement this year is the fact that there is no clear front-runner, meaning we should be in for an exciting Oscar ceremony.

What movies are up for awards this year, who is going to serve as the Oscar host and when is all of this going to take place? Read on for everything you need to know about the Oscars 2025.

Oscars 2025 date

The Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The ceremony will air at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on ABC. If you’re a fan of the red carpet proceedings, those begin at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT on ABC.

In order to watch the Oscars live you must have access to ABC, which is available through traditional pay-TV providers or a live TV streaming service (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV and Sling TV, the latter in select markets). You can also receive your local ABC station with a TV antenna. If you miss it live, the ceremony will stream on-demand the next day on Hulu.

For those not in the US, here is where the Oscars are being broadcast around the world.

Oscars 2025 nominations

Here are the official Oscar nominations in all categories:

Best Picture

• Anora
• The Brutalist
• A Complete Unknown
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Emilia Perez
• I'm Still Here
• Nickel Boys
• The Substance
• Wicked

Best Director

• Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez
• Sean Baker, Anora
• Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
• Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
• James Mangold, A Complete Unknown

Best Actor

• Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
• Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
• Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
• Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
• Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Actress

• Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
• Karla Sofia Gascon, Emilia Perez
• Mikey Madison, Anora
• Demi Moore, The Substance
• Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here

Best Supporting Actor

• Yura Borisov, Anora
• Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
• Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
• Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
• Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best Supporting Actress

• Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
• Ariana Grande, Wicked
• Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
• Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
• Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez

Best Adapted Screenplay

• A Complete Unknown
• Conclave
• Emilia Perez
• Nickel Boys
• Sing Sing

Best Original Screenplay

• Anora
• The Brutalist
• A Real Pain
• September 5
• The Substance

Best Animated Feature

• Flow
• Inside Out 2
• Memoir of a Snail
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
• The Wild Robot

Best Documentary Feature

• Black Box Diaries
• No Other Land
• Porcelain War
• Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
• Sugarcane

Best International Feature

• Emilia Perez
• Flow
• The Girl with the Needle
• I'm Still Here
• The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Cinematography

• The Brutalist
• Dune: Part Two
• Emilia Perez
• Maria
• Nosferatu

Best Costume Design

• A Complete Unknown
• Conclave
• Gladiator 2
• Nosferatu
• Wicked

Best Editing

• Anora
• The Brutalist
• Conclave
• Emilia Perez
• Wicked

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

• A Different Man
• Emilia Perez
• Nosferatu
• The Substance
• Wicked

Best Original Score

• The Brutalist
• Conclave
• Emilia Perez
• Wicked
• The Wild Robot

Best Original Song

• "Never Too Late," Elton John: Never Too late
• "El Mal," Emilia Perez
• "Mi Camino," Emilia Perez
• "Like a Bird," Sing Sing
• "The Journey," The Six Triple Eight

Best Production Design

• The Brutalist
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Nosferatu
• Wicked

Best Sound

• A Complete Unknown
• Dune: Part Two
• Emilia Perez
• Wicked
• The Wild Robot

Best Visual Effects

• Alien: Romulus
• Better Man
• Dune: Part Two
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Wicked

Best Animated Short

• Beautiful Men
• In the Shadow of the Cypress
• Magic Candies
• Wander to Wonder
• Yuck!

Best Documentary Short

• Death by Numbers
• I Am Ready, Warden
• Incident
• Instruments of a Beating Heart
• The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Best Live Action Short

• A Lien
• Anuja
• I'm Not a Robot
• The Last Ranger
• The Man Who Would Not Remain Silent

Oscars 2025 host

Handling emcee duties this year as the Oscars host is Conan O’Brien.

O’Brien was one of the premier late-night TV hosts for almost 30 years with Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan. Currently, he is the host of the popular podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and the Emmy-winning Conan O’Brien Must Go. This will mark his first time hosting the Oscars, though he previously hosted the Emmys twice.

“We are thrilled and honored to have the incomparable Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this year,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. “He is the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies, and his live TV expertise. His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best--honor the spectacular films and filmmakers of this year.”

O’Brien commented on the announcement in his own trademark way: “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”

You can also see O’Brien talk about him taking on Oscar hosting duties on his podcast here:

Oscars 2025 presenters

Even if there not nominees, many A-list stars and past Oscar winners turn up for the awards ceremony to serve as presenters. Here is the list of announced presenters for this year's Oscars:

• Halle Berry
• Penelope Cruz
• Robert Downey Jr.
• Elle Fanning
• Whoopi Goldberg
• Scarlett Johansson
• John Lithgow
• Cillian Murphy
• Amy Poehler
• Da'Vine Joy Randolph
• June Squibb
• Emma Stone
• Bowen Yang

Oscars 2025 behind the scenes

Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan are serving as executive producers for the 97th Academy Awards, with Kapoor also being the showrunner for the ceremony. Hamish Hamilton is directing the proceedings. The three are returning after working on the 2024 Oscars, for which they all won an Emmy; Hamilton has directed the Oscars five times in total.

More creatives from the 96th Oscars are also returning, including production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley, and red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin. Michael Bearden is working his first Oscars as the music director.

Wondering how to watch the Oscars 2024 red carpet? You already know how to watch the Oscars 2024 ceremony online and on TV—and have caught up on all of this year's Oscar nominees, no doubt—but if you don't want to miss all of the glitz and glamor at the pre-show red carpet, here's everything you need to know about tuning into the fashionable festivities. 

The biggest names in the movie industry will be heading to Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre for the 96th annual Academy Awards, which will air on Sunday, March 10 live at 7pm Eastern on ABC. (Note that the start time is an hour earlier than usual, meaning the three-hour show will conclude at 10pm ET.) If you don't have cable, live TV streaming services will enable you to watch the ceremony as it airs, including Fubo, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV.

Among the attendees will be nominees like Oppenheimer lead Cillian Murphy and director Christopher Nolan, Killers of the Flower Moon's Lily Gladstone and Robert DeNiro, Poor Things stars Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, Maestro's actor-director Bradley Cooper and The Holdovers actress Da'Vine Joy Randolph. 

And here's how to catch all of the above on the red carpet before Sunday's big, Jimmy Kimmel-hosted shindig!

How to watch the Oscars 2024 red carpet

ABC will be dedicating much of its Sunday schedule to Oscars-related programming, kicking off with the pre-show Countdown to Oscars: On the Red Carpet Live from 1pm to 4pm Eastern, hosted by ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis and Good Morning America weekend co-anchor Whit Johnson. 

The network's live red-carpet coverage will follow at 6:30pm ET on ABC, with The Oscars Red Carpet Show hosted by Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough. While Hough is a newcomer to the program, this is Hudgens' third consecutive year hosting the official Oscars pre-show. Along with a "multiview experience" of the red-carpet arrivals in all of their glamorous glory, the special will feature interviews with Oscar nominees, presenters and performers. (Barbie's Billie Eilish and Finneas, as well as Ryan Gosling, are just a few of the folks set to take the stage for the "Best Original Song" musical numbers.) 

And, as is tradition, E! will have its own programming dedicated to the Oscars red carpet on March 10: E!'s Brunch at the Oscars kicks off at 2pm Eastern with co-hosts Justin Sylvester, Zanna Roberts Rassi and Nikki Garcia. The pre-show will delve into this year's top Oscar races, fashion forecasts, behind-the-scenes intel and more. 

Then, the Live From E!: The Oscars show will follow at 4pm ET. Host Laverne Cox will be joined by panelists Roberts Rassi, Zuri Hall, comedian Heather McMahan and designer Christian Siriano to offer up exclusive interviews and commentary on all of the celebrity looks coming down the carpet. 

"This is heavier than I expected," or something to that effect, is a common refrain from first-time winners of the Oscar when they get their hands on the iconic award. Now we're not trying to weight shame the Oscar statuette, which is being handed out for the 96th time at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday, March 10, but it is a question many of us wonder about — just how much does an Oscar weigh?

That's just one of the many popular questions movie fans have for the trophy that is seen as one of the highest honors in the industry. So we thought we would take the time to answer some of these questions about the award that has been handed out for nearly a century, including how it got its name and if it is really made out of gold.

With this info, you can impress your friends when you watch the Oscars.

How much does an Oscar weigh?

According to the official Oscars website, the Oscar statuette weighs 8.5 pounds and is 13.5 inches tall.

If you're curious for some comparison, the World Health Organization reported in 2023 that the average weight of a newborn baby is just a little over 7 pounds. So, yes an Oscar is heavier than a newborn baby! Well, unless you have an enormous baby that is!!

Is an Oscar made out of gold?

Like many of the movies that it honors, the look of an Oscar is a bit of movie magic as it is not actually made of gold, at least not entirely. Instead, the statuettes are solid bronze and then plated in 24-karat gold, again per the Oscars website.

However, for a three-year period during World War Two, the process changed. A metal shortage saw the Oscars be made out of painted plaster. Once the war was over, the Academy allowed those who had won the plaster trophies to exchange them for gold-plated metal versions.

Who makes the Oscar statuette?

Since 2015, the Academy has enlisted UAP Polich Tallix to make the Oscar statuette. As the New York-based company shares on its website, it combined the original design of the trophy from 1928 with what was handed out in 2015 to create the current design for the Oscar statuette, which of course consists of the iconic man holding a sword and standing on a film reel that features five spokes representing the five original branches of the Academy: actors, director, producers, technicians and writers.

UAP says that it takes about three months to make 50 statuettes. However, with the official results not being known until the envelopes are opened, the Academy always makes sure it has more than enough Oscars for all potential winners, including in the event of a tie.

But if you want to go back even further, the original designer of the Oscar statuette in the 1920s was Cedric Gibbons, the chief art director at MGM, while Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley was tasked with making the first batch of statuettes.

Why is it called an Oscar?

While we don't typically think twice about the trophy being called an Oscar, that is actually just the nickname for the award. The official name is the Academy Award of Merit. So why did we start calling the award an Oscar?

Per the Oscar website, there isn't a definitive answer to that question, but the popular legend is that when Academy librarian Margaret Herrick saw the statuette for the first time she said it reminded her of her Uncle Oscar. By 1934 the nickname had been heard enough that a columnist described it as such when Katharine Hepburn won her first Academy Award. The Academy officially adopted the Oscar nickname in 1939.

How many Oscars have been handed out?

Over the first 95 years of the Oscars, the Academy has handed out 3,140 Oscar statuettes. If we average that out to how many people earn Oscar trophies every year, it would be about 33.

At this year's Oscars, the likes of Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Holdovers and more are vying for Oscars in 23 categories, so at least that many (almost certainly more) will be added to the total.

Can you sell an Oscar?

Once someone wins an Oscar, they can display it or take it where they so choose (including to In and Out), but one thing they cannot do is sell it; at least not without offering it to the Academy first.

Per the official regulations of the Academy: "Award winners shall not sell or otherwise dispose of the Oscar statuette, nor permit it to be sold or disposed of by operation of law, without first offering to sell it to the Academy for the sum of $1.00." This also applies to the children/family members of Oscar winners who inherit the award or anyone else that may come into possession of it by gift or bequest.

This rule was the result of a 2015 court ruling, so it is still a relatively new thing. That is why you may have heard stories about Steven Spielberg buying an Oscar Bette Davis won or others like it.

If we're going by the letter of the rule, should the Academy opt not to buy back an Oscar offered to them through this process, then an individual could theoretically sell an Oscar. But considering it only costs the Academy a $1 and they went to court to solidify that right, it's incredibly unlikely you'll be seeing an Oscar available to buy online anytime soon.

One of the biggest nights in on the movie-lovers' calendar each year is the Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, and the Academy is calling lights, camera and action on this year's awards ceremony on Sunday, March 10. 

The 2024 Oscars celebrates movies that came out in 2023, with the likes of Oppenheimer, Poor Things and Flowers of the Killer Moon are expected to scoop up loads of awards — though studious Oscar watchers are familiar with upset wins.

If you're excited about the show and want to confidently regale your watching party with your opinions on the deserving winner of every single category you're going to want to know how to watch all of the Oscar nominees.

This article, though, is for the main event, the big show, the awards ceremony itself. Here's how you can watch the 2024 Oscars award ceremony live from around the world.

How to watch the 2024 Oscars in the US

How to watch the 2024 Oscars in the UK

The 2024 Oscars airing earlier than normal is great news in the UK, given how late the ceremony starts, but you're still going to be up until the early hours watching it. The ceremony is being broadcast on Sunday, March 10, from 10:15 pm until 2:35 am the next morning, so we'd recommend taking the Monday off work! While that's when the broadcast begins, the ceremony itself starts at 11 pm.

The show will be aired live on ITV1, so you can use it on your TV or using ITVX if you'd rather watch it online on a computer or your phone. We've got a guide on how to watch live TV using ITVX here.

Both options are, of course, free to license fee payers.

How to watch the 2024 Oscars in Australia

The 2024 Oscars fall at a fairly reasonable hour in Australia: the ceremony is set to begin at 11 am on Monday, March 11, and end around 1:30 pm.

You can watch a live stream of the event for free online by using the streaming service 7Plus, or using your TV on Channel 7. 

How to watch the 2024 Oscars everywhere else

The Oscars will be broadcasting around the world, with the Academy sharing the exact place where viewers can watch it in various countries right here.

However, if you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch the Oscars, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to the Oscars or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

Fresh off her stint performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rihanna is once again taking her talents to a big stage. The living pop music legend is set to perform "Lift Me Up" from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack at this year's Oscars ceremony on Sunday, March 12. The track is nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song and was written by Ludwig Göransson, Tems, Ryan Coogler and Rihanna herself. 

As of publication, she's the only performer among the nominated Original Songs announced by the Academy. Although, we anticipate that the powers that be behind the ceremony will soon announce other performers, as it is pretty standard for musicians to perform songs nominated for Best Original Song. This year, the category is rounded out by the following fellow nominees: 

• "Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman by Diane Warren   
• "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick by Lady Gaga and BloodPop   
• "Naatu Naatu" from RRR by M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose   
• "This Is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski, Ryan Lott and David Byrne 

Expect the Academy to announce additional musicians taking to the stage in the coming days. 

Pivoting back to the "Umbrella" singer, her Oscar performance puts her in a very unique class. She now joins Wednesday star Catherine Zeta-Jones as the only person in recent memory to perform at the Academy Awards while pregnant. We can't help but to think how fortunate her second child is to be on some of the world's biggest stages having not yet even been born. 

Now unlike at the Super Bowl, we don't envision her live rendition of "Lift Me Up" will be quite as energetic given the song is more of a ballad. Plus, given the track is in many ways a tribute to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, we anticipate she'll honor him with a moving performance piece. 

Be sure you tune into the 95th Academy Awards to catch Rihanna on stage and see if she will be able to capture an Oscar trophy. While nominated for other awards like a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award, to date, the most high-profile honor the song has received is an NAACP Image Award. 

Listen to "Lift Me Up" directly below:

The 2023 Oscars air on Sunday, March 12, on ABC at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.

In what isn't too much of a surprise within the industry, the 93rd Oscars ceremony has been pushed back to April 25, 2021, from its original Feb. 28 date. The reason, of course, is the "result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19."

ABC will still air the rescheduled event.

The change also has led to a shift in the eligibility period and submission deadlines. Films seeking consideration for Academy Awards has been extended to Feb. 28, 2021. Specialty categories (such as Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Animated Short Film, etc.) now have until Dec. 1, 2020. General-entry categories such as Best Picture and Original Score must be submitted by Jan. 15, 2021.

From the Academy's press release :

"For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone's control," said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. "This coming Oscars and the opening of our new museum will mark an historic moment, gathering movie fans around the world to unite through cinema."

"We find ourselves in uncharted territory this year and will continue to work with our partners at the Academy to ensure next year's show is a safe and celebratory event that also captures the excitement of the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures," said Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment.

Preliminary voting will begin on Feb. 1.

Previously, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new rules for this year that allows films that skipped theaters — which still remain closed as of June — and went straight to streaming to be eligible for Best Picture, general entry and speciality category awards. There was a catch to that, though, in that the films must have already had a scheduled theatrical run.

Also still outstanding is a new date for the Scientific and Technical Awards, which had been set for June 20 in Beverly Hills. The annual Governor's Awards have been canceled for 2020.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that its new rules for films to be eligible for the Oscars. And for this year (and this year only, they say), films that skipped theaters and went straight to streaming will be eligible.

The reason isn't some grand change of heart — it's because of the reason for all things these days. Global pandemic.

Previous rules required that a film "be shown in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily." But Los Angeles County movie theaters have been closed since March 16, 2020. Thus the conundrum.

So this year — and for this year only — the Academy is changing things to allow for streaming. Here's the deal:

Until further notice, and for the 93rd Awards year only, films that had a previously planned theatrical release but are initially made available on a commercial streaming or VOD service may qualify in the Best Picture, general entry and specialty categories for the 93rd Academy Awards

There are some caveats here, and the first comes in the first sentence. Note the "films that had a previously planned theatrical release" bit. So if it wasn't supposed to be coming to theaters, it's not eligible.

And then there's probably my favorite requirement: That "the film must be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room member-only streaming site within 60 days of the film's streaming or VOD release." Because far be it for the Academy to borrow a Netflix login, apparently.

Beyond that, all the other eligibility rules still apply.

And at some point, all these newfangled streaming rules changes will revert back to their old, crotchety ways. As soon as theaters reopen, the old rules go back into effect, and releases from that point on will have to follow them.

It's all about enjoying movies in the theater, Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a joint statement .

"The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theater. Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering. Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules. The Academy supports our members and colleagues during this time of uncertainty. We recognize the importance of their work being seen and also celebrated, especially now, when audiences appreciate movies more than ever."

To help future films more easily meet the theatrical requirement once things open up, the Los Angeles County requirement also will be expanded to include New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta.

A couple more changes worth mentioning:

• All screeners now must include closed captioning.
• 2021 will be the final year that DVD screeners will be distributed. Same goes for CDs, screenplays and other hardcopy mailings. They'll all be available digitally.

The 93rd Oscars is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. It'll be broadcast, as always, on ABC.