The Academy Awards, a.k.a. the Oscars, are set to make a historic shift in how audiences watch the ceremony. Starting with the 101st Oscars in 2029, the annual event will be streamed live on YouTube, moving away from its long-standing broadcast home on ABC.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that YouTube has secured exclusive global streaming rights to the Oscars from 2029 through 2033. This multi-year agreement covers the main awards ceremony as well as related events, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards, and the announcement of nominations.
Recently, Hollywood has been trying to work itself into YouTube, while the creators who built up the platform have seen drops in revenue and views. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has been chumming up to Hollywood as YouTube creators have seen sweeping changes to the platform. Now this?
ABC has aired the Oscars since 1961.
ABC has been the primary broadcaster of the Oscars for decades. While the awards were first televised by NBC in 1953, ABC took over most broadcasts beginning in 1961 and has aired the ceremony almost continuously since 1976 after a brief return by NBC. This makes the network’s existing contract — which runs through the 2028 Oscars, the ceremony’s 100th anniversary — the end of a long television era.
I guess Disney is favoring sports with ESPN.
The decision to transition to YouTube streaming reflects broader trends in media consumption, where audiences increasingly engage with live events online and through digital platforms. YouTube’s massive user base — reportedly more than 2 billion viewers worldwide — offers the Academy an opportunity to reach a wider, global audience beyond traditional television boundaries.
Free Worldwide Streaming and Accessibility Features
Under the new deal, the Oscars will be streamed for free worldwide on YouTube, making the broadcast accessible to a vast international audience. In the United States, the ceremony will also be available to YouTube TV subscribers. The live stream will include multiple audio tracks and closed captioning, enhancing accessibility for viewers around the world.
Frankly, the Academy Awards are not worth the effort. Most of these people are out of touch, and it’s simply Hollywood congratulating itself. Audiences have begun tuning it out.
Academy leaders described the partnership with YouTube as a way to expand the reach of the ceremony and “bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world.”
Again, does the world care?
It is literally celebrities voting themselves awards.
We shall see how it goes.
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