The Oscars Will Have a Host for the First Time Since 2018

For the first time since 2018, this year's Oscars will have a host—but ABC isn't yet ready to announce who that person will be. The ceremony, which is scheduled for March 27, will indeed feature an emcee, Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, said today at Television Critics Association's virtual winter press tour. While Jimmy Kimmel emceed the last two times the Oscars featured a host—in 2017 and 2018—"we don't have any details to share on the host right now," said Erwich. Kevin Hart was supposed to host the Oscars in 2019, but stepped down after old homophobic tweets of his resurfaced. The ceremony has gone host-less ever since, and while ratings grew slightly in 2019, last year’s Academy Awards broadcast averaged 10.5 million total viewers, a record low for the ceremony. Erwich said the 94th Academy Awards—scheduled to air live on ABC from LA's Dolby Theatre—will build on the recent success ABC has been finding with live presentations like Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which hit a four-year ratings high. “This is what we mean by bringing people together, creating big fun moments, building bridges with generations of fans and creating a real time touchstone for conversation,” said Erwich. “That’s what good broadcast TV delivers for audiences.” In addition to live events, ABC is still finding success with long-running drama Grey’s Anatomy, which on Monday was renewed for Season 19. Prior to Erwich's executive session, ABC picked up Grey's spinoff Station 19 for Season 6. Shonda Rhimes on Bridgerton Season 2 and Whether It’s Time to End Grey’s Anatomy “Grey’s Anatomy is still at the top of its game creatively,” said Erwich, noting the show is ABC’s most-watched drama and is one of the top shows on television. While Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes ultimately gets to decide how long the show goes on for—she told Adweek last month she was “on the fence” about whether the show should continue after its current Season 18—"we'll have as much Grey's as we can have," said Erwich. ABC vs. Hulu When asked to explain the different between the two platforms he oversees, Erwich said that Hulu has an “additive effect” on ABC, and ABC shows that arrive on the streaming platform the morning after their linear broadcast have seen their reach tripled or quadrupled. “It's a very complementary relationship, we have minimal audience duplication and broadcast is still the greatest launchpad for shows to reach the broadest possible audience,” said Erwich. He specifically pointed to new sitcom Abbott Elementary, which is reaching nearly nine million viewers only two episodes in. “ABC and Hulu are complementary to each other,” said Erwich. “A lot gets talked about in terms of ABC shows versus Hulu shows, but the ABC shows are on Hulu the very next day. Each platform has a different opportunity for the artist to tell their stories and we make the decision based on what we think is best for each show.” As streaming services continue to consolidate, Erwich declined to comment on whether he thought that Hulu would eventually be folded into Disney+ as a standalone hub similar to Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm. “Our focus is to support our shows,” said Erwich. “Look at the production values and the quality and the marketing efforts. My focus on the next five years is our slate of programming.” One of the top priorities for ABC and Hulu is marketing its shows, which Erwich described as a “key difference” compared to some of their rivals. “These creators worked so hard on these shows, these are their precious babies,” he said. “I think we've been not just creative in in how we've produced these shows, but in really bringing them to market. I think we have some of the most distinct marketing efforts and campaigns on television right now.”