LOS ANGELES, United States — In a historic realignment of Hollywood’s media landscape, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday, December 17, that the annual Academy Awards will transition from traditional broadcast television to YouTube. Starting in 2029, the world’s most prestigious film honors will be streamed live globally on the platform.
The move marks the conclusion of a decades-long partnership with ABC, the Walt Disney-owned network that has televised the ceremony annually since 1976.
The transition follows a steady decline in traditional television ratings as viewers increasingly migrate toward digital streaming services.
While the 2025 Oscars reached 19.7 million U.S. viewers, a five-year peak—the figure remains a fraction of the 57 million viewers recorded during the show’s 1998 height.
Sources familiar with the negotiations indicated that while ABC submitted a bid to retain the broadcast rights, the network was unwilling to overpay, citing growing difficulty in maintaining the telecast’s profitability.
The new partnership, which spans from 2029 through 2033, aims to leverage YouTube’s technical infrastructure to reach an international audience.
The platform will provide multi-language audio tracks and closed captioning to ensure global accessibility.
In a joint statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor emphasized the strategic benefits of the move:
“We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.”
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan echoed this sentiment, highlighting the platform’s role in preserving cultural legacies:
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” Mohan said.
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Beyond the main ceremony, the agreement significantly expands the public’s access to “behind-the-scenes” Hollywood.
YouTube will also stream events that have traditionally been held off-camera, including the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominees luncheon.
The transition will not be immediate. ABC will continue to air the Oscars in the United States for the next three years; 2026, 2027, and 2028.
The final broadcast on ABC will coincide with the Oscars’ landmark 100th anniversary, serving as a symbolic conclusion to the Academy’s century on traditional media before its digital rebirth.
