Apple TV Plus created a history on Sunday after its drama film CODA won the Best Picture Academy Award at the just concluded 94th Academy Award. By doing so CODA has become the first streaming film to win Oscar’s most coveted and highest honor, the Best Picture award. Apple’s CODA also won two other awards at the Academy awards, Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur and the Best Adapted Screenplay for Sian Heder.
CODA’s big haul at the Oscar will come as a big boost for Apple’s streaming business, which is still in its infancy and is still an underdog compared to the most dominant player in the streaming space ‘Netflix.’ As for Netflix, the streaming giant had a pretty decent outing at the 94th academy awards.
Its streaming film The Power of The Dog barely managed to win just one award but nonetheless it was a big scalp. The movie took home the Best Director award and Jane Campion became only the third woman to win the Best Director award.
Over the years Netflix has been spending insane amount of money for lobbying its movie at the Oscars and has met with more than decent success. Since 2019, Netflix movies have been regularly nominated in the Best Picture category and has also won quite a few awards in the Best Documentary and Best Foreign category.
Although Netflix managed to win a big scalp by taking home the Best Director award at the 94th academy award, it is Apple TV’s CODA that is making all the headlines. It clearly seems that Apple TV Plus has won the perception war while Netflix has been made to rue the missed opportunity.
Apple’s big haul at the Academy Awards is likely to help in bolstering the viewership and subscription numbers of Apple TV Plus. And it might also give a nice head-up to catch up with Netflix. As matter of fact, a good showing at the Oscars does have a positive impact on the streaming business, a reason why Netflix spends millions for lobbying its movies at the Oscars.
To the set the record straight, Apple had reportedly spent more than $10 Mn for promoting CODA at Oscars.
CODA recounts the trails and tribulation of a young girl, who parents are deaf, and her dream to become a singer. CODA had premiered on Apple TV Plus in August last year.