The biggest change to the Academy Awards comes in the addition of a new category that is being designed around achievement in a popular film. The Academy also plans to set an earlier air date for the Oscars in 2020 — February 9 — and will be making that broadcast more “globally accessible.” It will also be capped at three hours long, after some broadcasts have gone on up to four hours.

Change is coming to the #Oscars. Here's what you need to know:

– A new category is being designed around achievement in popular film.
– We've set an earlier airdate for 2020: mark your calendars for February 9.
– We're planning a more globally accessible, three-hour telecast. pic.twitter.com/oKTwjV1Qv9

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) August 8, 2018

Going forward, some awards will be presented during commercial breaks, with edited acceptance speeches broadcast later in the program.

The popular film category’s eligibility requirements have yet to be determined, but many speculate that it will be comparable to a “People’s Choice” award, and will give movies that might not otherwise be nominated for an Oscar a presence at the ceremony. Inversely, it gives The Academy a “Popcorn Oscar” to pass out rather than considering those films for a more traditional award.

The sad thing about the new 'popular film' Oscar is it becomes a way for the academy to 'acknowledge' the success of big films (i.e. Superheroes) w/o risking the credibility of their prestigious awards. Yo, we're hip, we LOVE Black Panther, however we just won't take it seriously

— Jonathan Burdett (@jburd22) August 8, 2018

https://twitter.com/franczechsca/status/1027238745278492673

Black Panther should absolutely make the Best Picture noms but the idea of inventing a "popular film" category for it to lose to Infinity War even though it's the better film… makes me itch.

— Craig Bro Dude (@CraigSJ) August 8, 2018

The next Oscars broadcast will be as announced, Feb. 24, 2019. The earlier date will begin with the 92nd Oscars in 2020.