YouTube Wins Exclusive Rights to Host the Oscars Starting in 2029
In a historic shift, YouTube has secured exclusive global rights to host the Oscars starting in 2029. This multi-year deal marks the end of ABC's five-decade broadcast era and moves the Academy Awards to a digital-first, free-to-stream model worldwide.
In a historic shift that signals the end of an era for traditional television, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that YouTube will become the exclusive global home for the Academy Awards. The multi-year agreement will see the Oscars leave their long-time broadcast partner, ABC, beginning with the 101st ceremony in 2029.
A New Digital Era for Hollywood
The Academy confirmed the deal on [December 17, 2025], marking one of the most significant distribution changes in the history of the awards. Under the new agreement, YouTube will hold the exclusive global rights to stream the Oscars from 2029 through 2033.
For decades, the Oscars have been a staple of linear television, with ABC serving as the domestic broadcaster since 1976. This move to a purely digital platform acknowledges the changing landscape of media consumption, where streaming services and social video platforms increasingly dominate viewership over traditional cable networks.
"The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions," said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan 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."
Key Details of the Deal
The partnership extends far beyond just the awards ceremony itself. According to official announcements, the deal includes:
- Global Access: The ceremony will be streamed for free to audiences worldwide on YouTube. In the United States, it will also be available to subscribers of YouTube TV.
- Comprehensive Coverage: YouTube will host official red carpet coverage, the Governors Awards, the nominations announcement, and the Scientific and Technical Awards.
- Archive Digitization: As part of the agreement, the Academy will partner with Google Arts & Culture to digitize components of the Academy Collection and provide virtual access to select Academy Museum exhibitions.
The End of the ABC Era
While the news marks a major transition, the change won't happen immediately. ABC will retain its broadcasting rights for the next three years, concluding its five-decade run with the milestone 100th Academy Awards in 2028.
Viewership for the telecast has faced challenges in recent years. While the [March 2025] ceremony saw a slight uptick to nearly 20 million viewers, these numbers are a far cry from the peak of 57 million viewers who tuned in to watch Titanic sweep the awards in 1998. The move to YouTube is widely seen as a strategy to capture a younger, more global audience that may not have access to traditional US broadcast networks.
"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," said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor.
With this pivot, the Oscars are betting that the future of prestige film recognition lies not on the television screen, but on the smartphone, tablet, and connected TV app of the modern viewer.
Oscars Shift to YouTube-Only Streaming Starting in 2029 - CNET
