Shake Shack Giveaway Will Depend On Oscars Runtime

The 96th Academy Awards premiere at 6 p.m. Central this Sunday, March 10, but if you want to score a free sandwich from Shake Shack, what really matters is when the ceremony ends. The Oscars are known for high fashion, celebrities' memorable red carpet moments, and a notoriously long runtime, so Shake Shack is letting its upcoming free food giveaway to be determined by the length of this year's broadcast.

In partnership with marketing agency Known, Shake Shack has determined the estimated runtime for the Academy Awards to be three hours and 31 minutes. The calculation was made using custom modeling and data analysis that takes into account the different components of the show like its host, scheduled performances, and ad breaks. Oscars attendees are seated in a theater and not fed for the duration of the show, so the estimated runtime of well over three hours might have their stomachs growling through long-winded acceptance speeches—but Shake Shack has ensured that their loss is our gain.

Although it's always an honor just to be nominated, two Shake Shack menu items are facing off in an over/under bet on how long the Academy Awards broadcast will last this Sunday.

If the runtime goes over the predicted three hours and 31 minutes, then customers can score a free Chicken Shack sandwich from March 11 to 18. If the awards show runs short of the predicted length, then customers can score a free SmokeShack burger instead. In both cases, a $10 minimum purchase must be made and the code BIGWINS has to be used at checkout to redeem the free sandwich. Either way, there's some delicious fast casual fare to be had.

Shake Shack is also offering a free ShackBurger to nominees credited in all categories. This particular offer is only available on Oscars night, March 10, at the West Hollywood location (with proof of ID). But Best Actor nominee Paul Giamatti probably won't head to Shake Shack after the ceremony—he's more of an In-N-Out guy.