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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that the Oscars will move to YouTube as its exclusive broadcaster beginning in 2029, marking a historic shift for Hollywood's most prestigious awards ceremony and ending a decades-long partnership with ABC.
The five-year agreement represents the first time the Academy Awards will be available only through an online platform, underscoring the film industry's evolving relationship with digital distribution even as many filmmakers remain skeptical of streaming's impact on theatrical exhibition.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said the arrangement would enable the ceremony to reach "the largest worldwide audience possible -- which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community."
The annual telecast, which honors the year's top cinematic achievements and attracts major Hollywood talent, currently draws approximately 20 million American viewers along with millions more internationally. ABC, owned by Disney, will continue airing the show through 2028, when the 100th Academy Awards ceremony takes place under its existing contract.
The YouTube deal reflects broader changes in how audiences consume entertainment, with streaming platforms increasingly dominating viewing habits. YouTube commands the largest share of television viewing time among streaming services in the United States, surpassing even Netflix in total usage.
Technology companies have made significant inroads into traditional Hollywood territory in recent years, offering lucrative contracts to attract top creative talent. Their influence has extended to awards recognition as well: Apple became the first streaming service to win the best picture Oscar with "CODA" in 2022. The SAG Awards, recently rebranded as The Actors Awards, previously moved to Netflix.
However, tensions persist between streaming platforms and filmmakers who advocate for extended theatrical releases, a practice that streamers have generally avoided.
The Academy Awards have struggled to maintain viewership as younger generations shift their media consumption patterns. While the most recent ceremony attracted 19.69 million viewers—the highest figure in five years—this represents a sharp decline from the more than 40 million viewers who regularly tuned in just over a decade ago.
The Covid-19 pandemic proved particularly challenging, with ratings plummeting to 10.4 million at their lowest point. The Academy has experimented with distribution methods, simultaneously streaming this year's ceremony on Disney's Hulu platform alongside the ABC broadcast, though technical difficulties prevented some viewers from watching the final awards.
Neither the Academy nor Google-owned YouTube revealed the financial terms of the agreement. Industry publication Deadline reported that YouTube's proposed payment exceeded what made economic sense for Disney to match, according to unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations.
An ABC Entertainment spokesperson acknowledged the network's long history with the ceremony, stating that ABC "has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century." The spokesperson added that the network looks forward to broadcasting the next three ceremonies, including the centennial celebration in 2028.
The Academy emphasized that the collaboration would "leverage YouTube's vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy."
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