The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has reached an agreement with YouTube granting the video-streaming platform exclusive rights to broadcast the Oscars from 2029 to 2033. This deal will expand the Oscars’ reach to over two billion global viewers and YouTube TV subscribers in the U.S. The partnership includes streaming rights for behind-the-scenes content, red carpet coverage, and other academy events like the Governors Awards and Oscars nominee announcements, all accessible on the Oscars YouTube channel. The awards will be available in multiple languages with closed captioning.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, and a broadcasting partner has not been named, leaving uncertainty about the availability of the award show on traditional broadcast TV platforms. Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor and CEO Bill Kramer expressed their enthusiasm about the collaboration, emphasizing the opportunity to showcase the academy’s work to a vast international audience.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan highlighted the partnership’s goal of inspiring creatives globally while honoring the prestigious legacy of the Oscars. The current Disney ABC broadcast of the Oscars will continue until 2028, coinciding with the 100th edition of the awards, alongside the academy’s ongoing international partnership with Disney’s Buena Vista International.
This landmark deal signifies a significant shift in the entertainment industry, particularly amidst the film sector’s rapid transition to streaming platforms and the competitive landscape, exemplified by the recent developments in the fight for Warner Bros. Disney-owned ABC has been the traditional broadcast home of the Oscars for decades, and they expressed pride in hosting the awards over the years.
The 2025 Oscars attracted a five-year viewership high with 19.7 million total viewers, streamed digitally for the first time on Hulu, although some viewers encountered technical difficulties when the site reportedly went down just before the best picture winner was revealed.
