You're sitting there, snacks ready, beverage in hand, waiting for the glitz to start. Then you check your phone. It's already over? Or halfway through? Honestly, the biggest mistake people made this year was assuming Hollywood keeps the same schedule every decade. It doesn’t.
The oscars start time 2025 was officially set for 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
If you were expecting that old-school 8:00 p.m. kickoff, you basically missed the first third of the show. The Academy shifted things earlier to help the East Coast actually stay awake for Best Picture, and frankly, to give ABC a better lead-in for the late-night news.
The New Reality of the Oscars Start Time 2025
The 97th Academy Awards didn't just move the clock; they changed the whole vibe. Hosted by Conan O’Brien—his first time emceeing the big night—the ceremony felt faster. Conan even joked in his monologue about it being "Hollywood's biggest night that starts at four in the afternoon."
He wasn't wrong.
For those on the West Coast, the sun was still blazing when the first statues were handed out. This 7:00 p.m. ET start time is the "new normal." It started as an experiment in 2024 and stuck for 2025 because the ratings actually held up. People want to see the winners, but they also want to be in bed by 10:30 p.m.
What time did the red carpet actually begin?
If you live for the fashion, the "official" pre-show started at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
However, if you’re a real red carpet nerd, the E! network and various livestreams usually start circling the Dolby Theatre as early as 4:00 p.m. ET. For the 2025 show, Julianne Hough and Jesse Palmer handled the official ABC duties. They had a tough job this year, navigating the carpet while everyone was buzzing about the wildfire recovery efforts in Los Angeles—a somber note that Conan also touched on during the broadcast.
Where Everyone Watched (and Where They Re-Watch Now)
ABC is still the king of the Oscars, but 2025 was a bit of a milestone. For the first time, Hulu streamed the ceremony live for its subscribers.
It wasn't perfectly smooth, though.
Some users complained on social media that the Hulu feed cut off right before the final awards. Disney ended up apologizing for the technical glitch. If you missed it or your stream died, you can still find the full replay on Hulu or ABC.com. Just keep in mind that these rights are tricky; usually, the full broadcast is only available for a few weeks after the air date before it gets chopped up into individual clips on YouTube.
International viewers had it rougher
While Americans were eating dinner, fans in the UK were brewing coffee for a 12:00 a.m. GMT start. In Australia, it was Monday morning, March 3rd. The show was broadcast in over 200 territories, including:
- Australia: Seven Network / 7Plus
- UK: ITV / ITVX
- Canada: CTV
What actually happened during that 2025 broadcast?
The show ran for about 3 hours and 50 minutes. That’s long, but for an Oscars telecast, it’s actually somewhat efficient.
Anora was the big winner of the night, taking home five awards including Best Picture. Sean Baker made history with that win, proving that indie film still has a massive pulse in Hollywood. Adrien Brody grabbed Best Actor for The Brutalist, while Mikey Madison took home Best Actress for Anora.
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One of the most talked-about moments wasn't an award, though. It was Conan’s musical number about not wasting time, followed immediately by him picking a fake fight with Adam Sandler over his casual outfit. It was peak "Coco" energy.
Practical Steps for Next Awards Season
If you’re already looking toward the 98th Oscars (the 2026 show), don't get comfortable with the clock.
- Check the date early: The Academy usually announces the date in the spring. Expect it to stay in early March to avoid clashing with the Winter Olympics or other major events.
- Verify the local time: Don't trust your "internal clock" from five years ago. 7:00 p.m. ET is likely the permanent slot now.
- Update your streaming apps: If you're a cord-cutter, make sure your Hulu or YouTube TV subscription is active at least 24 hours before. You don't want to be dealing with password resets while the Best Supporting Actor is being announced.
- Download the ABC app: It’s often the most stable backup if your primary streaming service glitched like Hulu did this year.
The 2025 ceremony proved that the Oscars are trying to evolve. Between a "digital-first" hosting choice like Conan and an earlier start time, the goal is clear: stay relevant in a world where people have eight-second attention spans. Whether they succeeded is up for debate, but at least we got to bed before midnight.
Actionable Insight: If you want to see the 2025 winners in action, most of the top films like Anora, The Brutalist, and Emilia Pérez are currently transitioning from theaters to VOD platforms like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime. Now is the time to catch up before the 2026 race begins.