In a landmark shift that underscores the accelerating transformation of how major cultural events are consumed, YouTube has secured exclusive global broadcast rights to the Academy Awards beginning in 2029.
The deal will take effect with the 101st Oscars ceremony and run through 2033, marking the end of the show’s uninterrupted run on ABC that dates back to 1976.
Under the new agreement, the Oscars will be streamed live and free on YouTube to a potential audience of more than two billion viewers worldwide, while YouTube TV subscribers in the United States will also have access to the telecast.
The move represents the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ most ambitious effort yet to expand the ceremony’s reach beyond traditional television and connect with a younger, more globally dispersed audience.
The partnership goes far beyond the main awards night. In addition to the live ceremony, YouTube will host comprehensive Oscars coverage, including red carpet events, behind-the-scenes footage, access to the exclusive Governors Ball, and a wide array of supplemental programming.
The platform will also offer accessibility features such as closed captioning and multiple audio-language tracks, reinforcing the Academy’s push to make its programming more inclusive and internationally accessible.
Film fans will gain year-round access to a broad slate of Academy events and initiatives through the Oscars’ official YouTube channel. These include the Governors Awards, nominations announcements, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, and the Scientific and Technical Awards, as well as filmmaker and Academy member interviews, educational programs, podcasts and other original content.
As part of the wider collaboration, Google Arts & Culture will work with the Academy to digitize and showcase select exhibitions and programs from the Academy Museum. The initiative will also help preserve and provide digital access to components of the Academy Collection—the world’s largest film-related archive, comprising more than 52 million items. The result, both parties say, will be a centralized digital hub for film history and appreciation, accessible to audiences around the globe.
Announcing the deal, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor described the partnership as a defining moment for the institution. They said the collaboration with YouTube aligns with the Academy’s international identity and long-term mission to celebrate cinema, inspire emerging filmmakers and preserve film history on an unprecedented global scale. Leveraging YouTube’s reach and technological capabilities, they added, will create new opportunities for audience engagement while respecting the Oscars’ legacy.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan echoed that sentiment, calling the Oscars “one of our essential cultural institutions” and emphasizing the platform’s role in inspiring a new generation of storytellers and film lovers while honoring the awards’ storied past.
Despite the shift, the Academy’s existing broadcast arrangements remain intact in the short term. ABC, owned by Disney, will continue as the Oscars’ domestic broadcast partner through the 100th ceremony in 2028, while Disney’s Buena Vista International will maintain international broadcast duties over the same period.
The Oscars’ move to YouTube reflects a broader reshuffling among the entertainment industry’s most prestigious awards shows. The Grammys have already announced that their 2026 telecast will be their last on CBS after more than five decades, with the show set to move to ABC/Disney in 2027. Meanwhile, the Tony Awards remain on CBS, where they have aired since 1978, and the Primetime Emmys continue to rotate among the major broadcast networks and FOX.
First televised on NBC in 1953, the Oscars have shifted networks several times over the decades before settling into a nearly 50-year home on ABC. Their migration to a digital-first platform signals not just a new chapter for Hollywood’s biggest night, but a broader redefinition of how global audiences engage with live, prestige entertainment in the streaming era.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Oscars’ move to YouTube from 2029 marks a historic shift from traditional television to a global digital platform, giving more than two billion viewers free and accessible access to the ceremony and year-round Academy content, while signaling a broader transformation in how major cultural events are broadcast worldwide.
