The Academy Awards will move to YouTube in 2029, with organisers announcing that the Oscars will be livestreamed on the platform for the first time, ending ABC’s role as the ceremony’s broadcast home after more than half a century.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said the partnership with YouTube would allow the Oscars to reach “the largest worldwide audience possible”.
“This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy,” the statement said.“We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.”
ABC will still broadcast the 2026 and 2027 ceremonies, as well as the 100th Academy Awards in 2028. The YouTube deal will take effect in 2029 and run through 2033.
The Walt Disney-owned network has aired the Oscars every year since 1976, but ratings for what remains the film industry’s most prestigious awards show have steadily declined as audiences shift toward streaming platforms.
The 2025 ceremony, held in March, was simulcast on Disney-owned Hulu for the first time. Despite technical issues, including the stream cutting off before the announcements of best actress and best picture, the broadcast drew 19.7 million US viewers, the highest figure in five years. That still falls far short of the Oscars’ 1998 peak audience of 57 million.
Financial terms of the YouTube deal were not disclosed. According to Reuters, ABC did bid to retain the rights but was unwilling to overpay amid broader struggles to maintain profitability.
YouTube confirmed the Oscars will be livestreamed for free, with closed captioning and multiple audio language tracks to make the ceremony accessible to a global audience. The platform has also secured rights to stream other Academy events, including the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominees luncheon, gatherings that have traditionally taken place off-camera.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan framed the move as a cultural handover rather than a rupture.
“The Oscars are one of the world’s essential cultural institutions,” Mohan said. “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 while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”
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