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
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
