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In a landmark shift that signals the evolving media landscape, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that the Oscars will move from its longtime broadcast home on ABC to streaming exclusively on YouTube beginning in 2029.
The prestigious awards ceremony will continue airing on ABC through 2028, culminating with the 100th Academy Awards celebration. The transition marks a watershed moment for television’s most celebrated awards show and reflects the accelerating migration of major entertainment events to digital platforms.
Under the new multi-year agreement, YouTube will hold global streaming rights from 2029 through 2033. The deal encompasses comprehensive coverage of Oscar-related events, including red-carpet festivities, the Governors Awards, and the nominations announcement.
“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor in a joint statement. “The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible — which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community.”
The agreement represents the first instance of one of entertainment’s “big four” awards programs — the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, and Tonys — abandoning traditional broadcast television entirely. This places one of non-sports television’s most-watched annual events in the hands of Google’s video platform, which boasts approximately 2 billion users worldwide.
According to the announcement, Academy Awards ceremonies will stream for free globally on YouTube and be available to YouTube TV subscribers. The platform will offer multiple language options through audio tracks and closed captioning, potentially expanding the ceremony’s global reach. Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.
Neal Mohan, YouTube’s Chief Executive, emphasized the cultural significance of the partnership: “The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry. Partnering with the academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”
ABC has been the primary broadcast home for the Academy Awards throughout most of the ceremony’s televised history. NBC initially televised the event in 1953, but ABC secured the rights in 1961. With the exception of a brief period between 1971 and 1975 when NBC reclaimed the broadcast, the Oscars have been an ABC staple for over six decades.
“ABC has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century,” the Walt Disney Co.-owned network said in a statement. “We look forward to the next three telecasts, including the show’s centennial celebration in 2028, and wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued success.”
The 2025 Academy Awards attracted 19.7 million viewers on ABC, showing modest growth from the previous year. While still one of television’s biggest annual events, current viewership represents less than half the show’s peak audience. In 1999, more than 55 million viewers tuned in to watch James Cameron’s “Titanic” sweep the major awards.
By selecting YouTube over competitors like Netflix or NBCUniversal/Peacock, the Academy has prioritized reach over production experience. YouTube has less established infrastructure for producing live event programming compared to traditional networks, but it dominates viewership statistics, particularly among younger audiences.
Recent Nielsen data underscores YouTube’s market dominance, showing the platform accounted for 12.9% of all television and streaming consumption in November, outpacing Netflix’s 8.3% share.
The move reflects broader industry trends as traditional television events increasingly migrate to digital platforms, forcing entertainment institutions to balance tradition with evolving media consumption habits. For the Academy, the YouTube partnership represents a strategic bet on streaming’s future while potentially introducing the Oscars to new global audiences.
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6 Comments
The move to YouTube is a significant milestone in the evolution of the entertainment industry. It reflects the growing power of digital platforms and the changing viewing habits of audiences. While this transition may be controversial for some, it could open up new opportunities for the Oscars to reach a younger, more global demographic.
This is a bold move by the Academy, but it makes sense given the rapid growth of streaming. YouTube has a massive global reach, so this partnership could help expand the international visibility of the Oscars. However, the transition will need to be carefully managed to maintain the ceremony’s status.
This is a major shift for the Oscars, moving away from traditional TV broadcasting to a streaming platform. It will be interesting to see how the viewership and engagement changes with the transition to YouTube. Some may see it as a loss of prestige, while others view it as an opportunity to reach a wider digital audience.
The move to YouTube is a sign of the times, as more and more entertainment content migrates to streaming platforms. It will be crucial for the Academy to ensure the Oscars ceremony maintains its glamour and significance in this new digital environment.
You make a good point. The challenge will be preserving the Oscars’ legacy and prestige while adapting to the YouTube platform. The Academy will need to get creative with ways to engage the streaming audience.
I’m curious to see how the Oscars ceremony and related programming will be tailored for the YouTube audience. The platform’s interactive features could provide new ways for viewers to engage with the event. But the Academy will need to strike the right balance between innovation and preserving the Oscars’ tradition.