This is very interesting, especially a move like this with a brand like this. It’s a huge win for YouTube, but for the Oscars time will tell. If The organization is at the beginning stages of a brand laxative that would not only clean out the system, but loosen the joints to make it less stiff, this could work, but that’s gonna take some time and three years from now might do the trick… but if they’re bringing the exact same element to YouTube, the efforts may be futile.
Beginning in 2029, the Academy Awards will no longer air on ABC and will instead stream exclusively on YouTube under a multi‑year global rights deal. The agreement starts with the 101st Oscars and currently runs through 2033, ending a broadcast partnership with ABC that has lasted for more than five decades.
The deal gives YouTube exclusive worldwide streaming rights to the Oscars telecast, including the main ceremony, red carpet coverage, behind‑the‑scenes programming, and access to post‑show events like the Governors Ball. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch through YouTube TV, while audiences around the world will be able to stream the show live and free on YouTube.
Leaders at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences describe the partnership as a way to expand the Oscars’ reach and reflect the organization’s increasingly global membership. They say YouTube’s massive audience and international footprint will help bring the show to the largest possible worldwide viewership, at a time when traditional TV ratings for the ceremony have fallen sharply from their late‑1990s peak.
YouTube, owned by Google, has framed the agreement as a milestone in its push into live events and premium television‑style programming. Company executives call the Oscars one of the world’s key cultural institutions and say hosting the show will both honor its legacy and inspire a new generation of creators and film fans on the platform.
Until the new streaming era begins, ABC will continue to air the Oscars in the United States through its existing contract, which runs through the 100th ceremony in 2028. After that, the world’s biggest film awards will live on a platform built around digital creators, marking a historic shift from traditional broadcast television to online streaming for one of entertainment’s most famous live events.