In brief
The Oscars will switch to an exclusive streaming format on YouTube in 2029, abandoning its traditional broadcasting on ABC since 1976. This move is part of a larger trend in the entertainment industry as viewership declines on traditional networks. The Academy aims to reach a broader audience through this partnership with YouTube, hoping to engage newer generations of film enthusiasts.
The Academy Awards will begin streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, the latest big change in Hollywood. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that it signed a multi-year deal that will give YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the show will be available live and for free on YouTube.
It's another big shakeup in Hollywood, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, along with steep production cuts.
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, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement.
Over decades, viewership of the awards show has declined, though there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers tuning in from cell phones and computers.
In a statement, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan called the Oscars one of our essential cultural institutions and said that partnering with the Academy would inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy.
ABC, which has streamed the awards since 1976, said that it was looking forward to the next three telecasts it will still host.
The move comes as Warner Bros Discovery recommended its shareholders reject a hostile takeover bid from Paramount Skydance for a rival bid from streaming giant Netflix. Both options were seen as unfavorable for an industry that has seen drastic cuts over the past several years.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that reliance on streaming sites will continue.
