The Academy Awards will move to exclusive global streaming on YouTube starting in 2029, ending a broadcasting relationship with ABC that has lasted for decades and signalling another shift in how major Hollywood events reach audiences. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it has signed a multi-year agreement giving YouTube exclusive rights to the Oscars through 2033.
End of a long-running ABC broadcast
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, have aired on ABC for about half a century. Under the new agreement, the ceremony will be streamed live and available for free on YouTube beginning in 2029. ABC said it will continue to air the awards for the next three ceremonies covered under its existing deal.
ABC has been associated with the Oscars since 1976, including offering streaming access in recent years. The network said it was looking forward “to the next three telecasts” it will still host before the transition.
Academy cites global reach and access
In a joint statement, Academy chief executive Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor said the organisation’s international membership played a role in the decision. They said the partnership with YouTube would expand access to the Academy’s work to a wider global audience and benefit both Academy members and the film industry.
The Academy noted that Oscars viewership has declined over several decades, though there was a modest increase in 2025. That increase included a notable share of younger viewers watching on mobile phones and computers rather than traditional television.
YouTube positions Oscars as a cultural fixture
YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan described the Oscars as “one of our essential cultural institutions” in a statement announcing the deal. He said the partnership would aim to reach new audiences while maintaining the ceremony’s established identity.
The agreement gives YouTube exclusive rights to stream the awards globally for multiple years, marking one of the highest-profile live entertainment events to move entirely to a digital platform.
Industry backdrop of consolidation and streaming pressure
The announcement comes amid wider changes in Hollywood, including studio sales, mergers, and production cutbacks. On the same day, Warner Bros Discovery advised shareholders to reject a takeover bid from Paramount Skydance in favour of a rival proposal from Netflix.
Those developments have been viewed as challenging for an industry already dealing with declining cable audiences and reduced spending. Major studios and networks have faced pressure as audiences increasingly turn to streaming services for entertainment.
The Oscars deal adds to signs that large-scale cultural events are becoming more reliant on streaming platforms as traditional broadcast television continues to lose viewers.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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