The Academy Awards are preparing for one of the most significant transitions in their nearly century-long history, with the Oscars set to move exclusively to YouTube starting in 2029.
The shift will end the ceremony’s long-standing relationship with broadcast television and mark the first time Hollywood’s most prestigious awards will be streamed globally on a digital-first platform.
The move follows a new multi-year agreement between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube, which will take effect after the Academy’s current contract with ABC expires following the 100th Academy Awards in 2028.
Under the deal, YouTube will hold exclusive worldwide streaming rights to the Oscars beginning with the 101st ceremony in 2029.
For nearly five decades, ABC has been the home of the Oscars in the United States, broadcasting the event to millions of viewers annually.
However, changing audience habits, declining linear television viewership and the growing dominance of streaming platforms have increasingly challenged the relevance of traditional broadcast television for large live events.
The Academy has framed the transition as a strategic move aimed at reaching a broader and younger global audience.
In announcing the partnership, Academy leadership emphasized the need to adapt to evolving viewing trends and to ensure the Oscars remain culturally relevant in an era where audiences increasingly consume content on mobile devices and digital platforms rather than scheduled television.
YouTube’s reach—spanning billions of users across more than 100 countries—offers the Academy unprecedented global access.
Unlike broadcast television, which often requires separate licensing arrangements in different regions, YouTube will provide a single, unified platform where audiences worldwide can watch the ceremony live and free.
Beyond the main awards telecast, the agreement covers extensive Oscars-related programming. YouTube will stream red carpet coverage, backstage content, nominee interviews, Governors Awards ceremonies and other Academy events.
The platform will also host year-round Academy programming, transforming the Oscars from a once-a-year television event into a continuous digital content ecosystem.
YouTube’s advertising infrastructure, data analytics and sponsorship integrations are expected to offer the Academy new revenue opportunities beyond traditional commercial breaks.
The transition also reflects long-standing concerns about declining Oscars viewership. While the ceremony once drew more than 40 million U.S. viewers annually, ratings have steadily declined over the past two decades.
Although recent years have seen modest rebounds, overall numbers remain well below historical peaks. The Academy has repeatedly experimented with format changes, host selections and show length in an effort to re-engage audiences, with mixed results.
Moving to YouTube allows the Oscars to better align with how audiences now engage with live events—through real-time clips, social media interaction and on-demand highlights.
The platform’s ecosystem enables immediate sharing, commentary and remixing, potentially extending the ceremony’s cultural impact far beyond its live broadcast window.
For international viewers, the shift is expected to simplify access. In many regions, including parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America, the Oscars have traditionally aired on delayed broadcasts or behind pay-TV subscriptions.
Streaming on YouTube eliminates many of these barriers, making the ceremony more accessible to global audiences who have long followed the awards online through clips and social media updates.
ABC will continue airing the Oscars through 2028, ensuring a symbolic milestone with the 100th ceremony before the digital transition begins.
The final broadcast-TV Oscars are expected to be heavily branded around the event’s history, underscoring the end of an era for both the network and the Academy.