iWorld
And the Oscar goes to…YouTube
LOS ANGELES: The red carpet is rolling out in a new direction—and it’s algorithm-approved. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has handed YouTube exclusive global streaming rights to the Oscars from 2029 through 2033, ending a broadcast relationship with ABC that stretches back to 1976.
The deal marks Hollywood’s most dramatic capitulation yet to streaming’s inexorable rise. YouTube reportedly committed a nine-figure sum to secure the rights, outbidding Disney/ABC and NBCUniversal in a heated auction that saw Netflix also express interest. Under the outgoing arrangement, Disney was paying approximately $100m per year for a ceremony that generated about $150m in annual revenue for the Academy. But plummeting ratings gave Disney cold feet—the Mouse House sought a lower licence fee in renewal talks, opening the door for YouTube’s aggressive play.
From the 101st Academy Awards onwards, the ceremony streams live and free worldwide—a democratisation of glitz that could reach YouTube’s two billion-plus users. American viewers get the added option of YouTube TV, whilst everyone else simply needs an internet connection and a tolerance for three-hour acceptance speeches.
The partnership extends well beyond awards night. YouTube will throw open the velvet ropes to red carpet coverage, backstage green rooms, Governors Ball schmoozing, the nominations announcement, the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards and the decidedly unglamorous Scientific and Technical Awards. Filmmaker interviews, podcasts and film education programmes complete the package. Multilingual audio tracks and closed captions promise accessibility on a scale broadcast television never managed.
In a cultural flourish, Google Arts & Culture will help digitise portions of the Academy Collection—a vast trove comprising more than 52m items—and bring select Academy Museum exhibitions online, turning YouTube into something between a streaming platform and a digital Smithsonian for cinema obsessives.
Until then, business as usual: Disney ABC holds US rights through the 100th Oscars in 2028, with Disney’s Buena Vista International handling overseas broadcasts. After that, Hollywood’s biggest night trades appointment television for algorithmic immortality.
The message is clear: if you can’t beat the streamers, join them—preferably before they start handing out their own golden statues. Lights, camera, buffering.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
