Many Broadway lovers were confused and
confounded when they attempted to watch an expected livestream of the Tony Awards on Paramount+ Sunday night.
Instead of the live presentation of the 76th
edition of the awards, Paramount+ users who are not subscribers to the Premium version of the streamer found themselves watching a recording of last year’s Tonys.
Reason: The press materials for the awards neglected to state that only Premium subscribers could see the livestream, so national media including The New York Times, Variety,
Vogue and the Los Angeles Times mentioned the streaming event without noting the Premium-only catch, the L.A. Times reported.
The fact that Ariana
DeBose hosted both years’ awards likely added to the confusion.
“So embarrassed and upset. They’re literally showing last year’s show," tweeted
24 Hour Plays Artistic Director Mark Armstrong.
"I just signed up for Paramount Plus to watch the Tonys not on my digital antenna and I literally cannot find it on
here,” wrote one frustrated consumer. Another emailed the L.A. Times during the show to say, “I’m glad to know I’m not the only one pulling my hair out over
here.”
The awards were also broadcast live on the Paramount-owned CBS network.