ITV's broadcast of the 98th Academy Awards drew immediate criticism from British viewers after a disruptive technical fault marred the opening moments of the ceremony.
A persistent beeping sound began interfering with the audio during a pre-recorded segment featuring host Conan O'Brien, which saw the comedian edited into scenes from this year's biggest films.
The interference continued as Mr O'Brien took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, making it difficult for audiences to hear his opening jokes.
The American presenter, who returned to host the awards for a second consecutive year following his well-received debut in 2025, had his highly-anticipated monologue partially drowned out by the glitching audio.
ITV viewers struggled to hear Conan O'Brien
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UK film fans staying up past midnight to watch the live broadcast quickly voiced their frustration online.
Social media platforms were flooded with complaints as the audio problems persisted throughout the ceremony's opening.
"What in the beep is going on at the #ITV #Oscars live stream," wrote one frustrated viewer on X, while another demanded: "Can itv fix the sound wtf."
Many initially questioned whether the fault lay with their own equipment rather than the broadcast itself.
Jonathan Ross presented the awards for ITV
|PA
"Anyone else keep hearing a noise on the @ITV #Oscars feed?" asked one user, with another posting: "Is it just my TV, is the ITV coverage of the Oscars making an horrific beeping noise every few seconds?"
The distorted sound was variously described as "awful," "horrid" and "glitchy" by those watching at home.
One viewer joked that "ITV are sending subliminal messages with the constant beeping," while another expressed concern the issue might plague the entire broadcast.
Beyond the technical difficulties, viewers also took aim at ITV's pre-show coverage, which began at 10.15pm before the main ceremony started at 11pm.
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Jonathan Ross returned to present the broadcast for a third year, joined by Elle Osili-Wood, BAFTA-nominated actor Samson Kayo and TikTok film enthusiast Fred Asquith.
However, the panel failed to win over audiences, with some describing the coverage as "apocalyptically awful" and abandoning the stream within minutes.
"Once again I beg you get a different panel and a better set up next time ITV!" one viewer wrote on X.
Another complained: "Apparently there's 40 minutes of Jonathan Ross before the Oscars actually start... @ITV ur s***!" (sic)
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at the 98th Oscars
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Some called for a different broadcaster to take over UK rights entirely, with one posting: "Pleaseeee can the uk get somewhere other than itv to host the Oscars."
The ceremony itself showcased a strong field of contenders, with Ryan Coogler's vampire thriller Sinners leading nominations after securing a record-breaking 16 nods from the Academy.
The film faced competition from several acclaimed productions including One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value.
Last year's Oscars coverage attracted a combined audience of five million viewers across ITV1 and ITVX, marking the channel's second year holding UK broadcast rights.
GB News has reached out to ITV for a comment on the reports.