Hulu suffered a major outage on Sunday night, leaving thousands of viewers locked out of their accounts just as the 97th Academy Awards began. Many users trying to stream the ceremony found themselves suddenly logged out, with “invalid email” errors blocking any attempt to reconnect. The issue persisted for at least 40 minutes, sparking frustration across social media.
A Streaming Disaster on Hollywood’s Biggest Night
For many cord-cutters, Hulu was the go-to platform for watching the Oscars. ABC, owned by Disney, had heavily promoted the service as the primary streaming option for those without cable. But just as the ceremony kicked off, thousands were locked out, scrambling for alternatives.
DownDetector, a site that tracks online service disruptions, recorded more than 34,000 complaints across multiple states. While the red carpet pre-show streamed without issues, the problems started at the worst possible moment—right as the awards ceremony began.
For nearly 40 minutes, Hulu remained mostly silent except for vague responses from its support team on X (formerly Twitter). The only public statement came at 7:39 PM ET, when Hulu Support tweeted:
“Having issues logging in? If so – we’re on it! Our team is actively investigating, and we hope to have things back up and running soon.”
By then, the damage had been done. Viewers had already missed key moments, and the backlash was growing.
Furious Viewers Take Over Social Media
Oscars night is full of must-see moments—big wins, emotional speeches, and viral performances. But for Hulu subscribers, it was mostly an exercise in frustration.
Many took to social media to vent:
- One user fumed, “Hulu owes me a damn refund right about now. All that advertisement about streaming the #Oscars2025, only for the site to not work.”
- Another was furious about missing the opening performance by Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo: “F* you Hulu logging me out and not letting me in so I missed Ariana’s performance.”**
- A third user was even more blunt: “I MISSED THIS BECAUSE HULU’S F* A**.”**
The anger wasn’t limited to casual viewers. With Hollywood’s biggest night becoming increasingly dependent on streaming, industry professionals were also paying attention.
What Caused the Outage?
Hulu has yet to offer a detailed explanation. However, service outages on major streaming platforms often stem from a few common issues:
- Server Overload: A sudden spike in viewership can overwhelm servers, especially if a platform underestimates demand.
- Authentication Errors: Users being logged out and unable to sign back in suggests problems with Hulu’s login systems, possibly linked to account verification or session management failures.
- Infrastructure Issues: Streaming platforms rely on multiple backend systems. A failure in just one of these—content delivery networks, user databases, or authentication servers—can create widespread problems.
Late Sunday, Hulu Support offered another update, saying its team had “identified the issue” and that affected users should be able to log back in soon.
What Happens Now?
Hulu is likely to face serious scrutiny after this failure, especially given the increasing importance of streaming for live events. While traditional cable TV feeds continued uninterrupted, many cord-cutters were left without options, highlighting the risks of relying solely on digital platforms.
For those who missed the Oscars, alternative services such as YouTube TV, AT&T TV, and FuboTV were also streaming the awards live. But for Hulu subscribers, the frustration remains—especially for those who missed key moments they can’t get back.
The real question now: Will Hulu take steps to prevent this from happening again? Or will viewers simply turn to other streaming services for their next major event?
