ABC NEWS ANNOUNCES SPECIAL COVERAGE OF THE 97TH OSCARS(R)

The Primetime Oscars(R) Special, 'Countdown to the Oscars with Robin Roberts: A Special Edition of 20/20' Airs Friday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. EST/PST on ABC, Streams Next Day on Hulu

'Good Morning America' To Air Special Coverage of 'The Oscars(R)' Led by Lara Spencer Live on 'GMA' From Los Angeles Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and Coverage Culminates With 'GMA''s After-Party Monday, March 3

ABC News 'On The Red Carpet at the Oscars' Coverage Led by ABC News' Linsey Davis, Whit Johnson and KABC's George Pennacchio Kicks Off Five-Plus Hours of Coverage Sunday, March 2, at 3:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. PST

ABC News*

ABC News announced today special coverage of the 97th Oscars(R), including a primetime special, "Countdown to the Oscars with Robin Roberts: A Special Edition of 20/20," to air Friday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. EST/PST on ABC, and stream the next day on Hulu. "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts hosts a special filled with surprises from the stars and sit-down interviews with Oscar(R) nominees, including Cynthia Erivo, nominated in the Best Actress category for her role as Elphaba in the feature film "Wicked" and actor Jesse Eisenberg nominated in the Original Screenplay category for "A Real Pain" co-starring Best Supporting Actor nominee Kieran Culkin. Roberts shares a rare behind-the-scenes look at the gravity-defying dresses worn by the stars of "Wicked" with Paul Tazewell who is nominated for Best Costume Design. Additional interviews include Oscar-nominated directors Coralie Fargeat of "The Substance" and James Mangold of "A Complete Unknown." The special also spotlights many of this year's high-profile nominees, including actresses Demi Moore, Zoe Saldana and Mikey Madison, as well as actor Timothée Chalamet and more. Roberts is joined by ABC News correspondent Chris Connelly who sits down with comedian Conan O'Brien who will be hosting Hollywood's Biggest Night for a preview of what the first-time host has in store.

Leading into Oscars weekend, "Good Morning America"'s Lara Spencer will be on the ground in Los Angeles Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for the morning show with a preview of Oscars preparations including a sneak peek of the ultra-exclusive Oscars after-party - The Governor's Ball - with celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck who gives "GMA" viewers a first look at the dishes he and his team are preparing. Chief international correspondent James Longman will join Spencer and "GMA"'s coverage Friday. "Good Morning America" Saturday and Sunday co-anchor and "World News Tonight" Saturday anchor Whit Johnson will also be on-site for special "GMA" segments throughout the weekend. In addition, "Good Morning America" will mark its 50th anniversary with a look back at its extensive coverage of the Oscars over the years. The celebration will culminate with the "GMA Oscar Monday After-Party," broadcast live from both Hollywood and New York City on Monday, March 3.

ABC News will present a star-studded pre-show, "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars," on Sunday, March 2, airing across ABC Owned Television Stations and Affiliates as well as streaming on ABC News Live, the 24/7 award-winning streaming news channel, from 3:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. PST until the awards show begins. ABC News Live "Prime" anchor and "World News Tonight" Sunday anchor Linsey Davis, Johnson, Connelly, KABC entertainment reporter George Pennacchio, Variety's chief awards editor Clayton Davis, will welcome and interview this year's Oscar nominees and presenters as they arrive; while KABC meteorologist Leslie Lopez, supermodel Roshumba Williams, and fashion expert Joe Zee will be onsite to discuss all the best fashion of the evening. "On The Red Carpet at the Oscars" will be available to stream on ABC News Live, now available on Hulu, Disney +, The Roku Channel, YouTube, YouTube TV, Samsung TV Plus, Amazon, Pluto TV, Xumo, Tubi, TikTok, ABCNews.com, the ABC News and ABC News Live apps and across ABC Owned Television Stations linear, digital and streaming platforms.

Additional coverage of "The Oscars" across ABC News programs and platforms includes the following:

"World News Tonight with David Muir" will preview "The Oscars" the week before, and Johnson will anchor from Los Angeles on Saturday.

Leading up to "The Oscars," ABC News Live, "Prime with Linsey Davis" will air interviews with Oscar nominees Colman Domingo ("Sing, Sing"), actresses Mikey Madison ("Anora") and Monica Barbaro ("A Complete Unknown"). On Friday, Feb. 28, ABC News Live will begin broadcasting live from the red carpet at the Dolby(R) Theatre in Los Angeles at 4 p.m. EST/1 p.m. PST with anchor Kayna Whitworth, and continuing through "Prime with Linsey Davis," with all the day's headlines plus a sneak peek of what viewers can expect on Oscars Sunday.

For Oscars week, "GMA3: What You Need to Know" will provide an in-depth look at the music preparations for the telecast and feature an exclusive interview with new music director Michael Bearden. The show will also include a conversation with Emmy(R) Award-winning choreographer Mandy Moore about her contributions to the production. Additionally, "GMA3" will spotlight the nominees for Costume Design and offer expert predictions from Connelly, who will be joined by ABC News contributors Kelley Carter and Mike Muse. The day following "The Oscars", "GMA3" will deliver a comprehensive wrap-up of the night's events, including a detailed review of the most memorable fashion moments from the red carpet.

"The View" welcomes Oscar winner Ariana DeBose to the Hot Topics table to guest co-host on Friday, Feb. 28. On Monday, March 3, EGOT and "The View" moderator Whoopi Goldberg returns to "The View" studio directly from presenting on Hollywood's Biggest Night to share her first-hand account of Oscars weekend.

"Nightline" will air a special edition of its broadcast fully dedicated to covering the Oscars on Friday, Feb. 28.

On Sunday, March 2, Connelly joins "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" sharing his interview with Oscar-nominated songwriter Diane Warren and a preview of the big night from Los Angeles.

ABC News Radio's entertainment team will be bringing radio affiliates all the latest on Oscars night in real time - from written digital recaps highlighting the big winners and major moments to audio clips from the ceremony and backstage soundbites. National correspondent Alex Stone will be reporting from Los Angeles on Sunday night, while reporter Mike Dobuski will debrief with stations during two-ways the next morning. Listeners can also tune in to ABC's award-winning daily news podcast, "Start Here," with host Brad Mielke, which will have additional analysis and reactions in Monday's episode.

GoodMorningAmerica.com, "GMA" social accounts and ABCNews.com will have live coverage of the red carpet and awards show beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. PST on Oscar Sunday.

ABC Owned Television Stations and Affiliates will be supporting "The Oscars" leading up to the big night and following all the action on Sunday. There will be multiple "On The Red Carpet" affiliate specials ahead of Oscars night, including "And The Nominees Are... ," "Countdown to the Oscars" and "The Oscars Preview"; as well as local news segments featuring nominees. "On The Red Carpet" will be livecasting on the day of "The Oscars," starting with the pre-show, simulcast on ABC News Live, and the "After The Awards" special, which will feature Pennacchio at The Governors Ball, WABC entertainment reporter Joelle Garguilo at the Vanity Fair party, and KABC weekend morning weathercaster and general assignment reporter Tony Cabrera at the Elton John party, along with the fashion team who will reveal their best dressed celebrities of the day.

ABC NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, will be reporting live from the red carpet with ABC News multiplatform reporters Melissa Adan, Jaclyn Lee and Zohreen Shah. NewsOne provides news content and services for more than 200 ABC affiliates and international news partners.

About ABC News

ABC News is America's No. 1 news source, providing straightforward, fact-driven journalism across broadcast, streaming, digital and audio. ABC's award-winning programs include "Good Morning America," "World News Tonight with David Muir," "Nightline," "20/20," "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," "GMA3: What You Need to Know," and "The View." Platforms include 24/7 streaming channel ABC News Live featuring "Prime with Linsey Davis," ABC News Studios, ABC News Digital, ABC Audio, 538 and NewsOne. Based in New York City, ABC News is comprised of three U.S. bureaus and eight international bureaus, with a presence in more than 20 countries around the world.