Oscars Headed to YouTube Beginning in 2029

The Academy Awards will be heading to YouTube after its current deal with ABC expires, the Academy announced on Wednesday.

The deal will begin with the 101st Academy Awards in 2029 and run through 2033. It gives YouTube exclusive rights to the awards show as well as red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content and Governors Ball access. YouTube will also have the exclusive rights to other Academy events and will provide digital access to Academy Museum of Motion Picture exhibits.

ABC has broadcast the Oscars show since 1975, but the Academy was known to be exploring other options in recent years, as the ratings for broadcast television declined and the network pressed the Academy to shorten and streamline the show.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards (which is changing its name to the Actor Awards) moved its broadcast to Netflix in 2024, becoming the first major awards show to be streamed rather than aired.

“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,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a 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.” 

Neal Mohan the CEO of YouTube, added in a statement, “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.”

A spokesperson for ABC released the following statement: “ABC has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century. 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.” 

For years, the Academy Awards has been the highest-rated entertainment program on television — but after a high of 55 million viewers in 1998, its ratings have steadily declined. The show dipped below 20 million viewers for the first time in 2021, when the pandemic-year show drew only 10.4 million. It has since rallied to a high of 19.69 million in March 2025, with online viewing becoming an increasingly important way to reach its audience.

The move away from broadcast marks a huge change for AMPAS, which receives the vast majority of its operating income from its deal with ABC and its Academy Award revenue.

It also gives a significant boost to YouTube’s slate of live events, which includes NFL games and other live sporting events.

NBC was reportedly also interested in obtaining the rights to the Oscars after the ABC deal expired.

The press release:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube signed a multi-year deal that will give YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars®, beginning in 2029 with the 101st Oscars ceremony and running through 2033. 

The Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, and more, will be available live and for free to over 2 billion viewers around the world on YouTube, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States. YouTube will help make the Oscars accessible to the Academy’s growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages.

The partnership also will include worldwide access for film fans to other Academy events and programs exclusively on the Oscars YouTube channel. This will include the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominations Announcement, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, film education programs, podcasts, and more.

In addition, through this holistic partnership, the Google Arts & Culture initiative will help provide digital access to select Academy Museum exhibitions and programs and help to digitize components of the Academy Collection—the largest film-related collection in the world, with more than 52 million items. It will be a true hub for film fans and will be accessible from around the world.

“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 Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “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. This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy. We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.” 

“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube. “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.”

The Academy’s domestic partnership for the Oscars will continue with Disney ABC through the 100th Oscars in 2028, as will the international partnership for the Oscars with Disney’s Buena Vista International. 

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