Summary:
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The Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, ending a broadcast relationship with ABC since 1976.
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YouTube will have exclusive global rights to the Oscars starting with the 101st ceremony through 2033.
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The deal includes streaming the red carpet, nominations announcement, and other Academy-produced programming year-round on YouTube.
The Academy Awards will move from ABC to YouTube beginning in 2029, ending a broadcast relationship that has been in place since 1976.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that it has reached a multi-year agreement with YouTube that gives the platform exclusive global rights to the Oscars starting with the 101st ceremony. The deal runs through 2033.
Film’s biggest night is headed to @YouTube, starting 2029. pic.twitter.com/5ckm1JyBC7
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) December 17, 2025
ABC will remain the domestic broadcast partner through the 100th Oscars in 2028, including the centennial telecast.
Once the ABC deal concludes, the Oscars will no longer air on a traditional broadcast network. Instead, the ceremony will stream live and free on YouTube worldwide, with access in the U.S. also available via YouTube TV.
The agreement extends beyond the annual awards show. YouTube will also carry the Oscar nominations announcement, red carpet coverage, the Governors Awards, the Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, and the Scientific and Technical Awards, along with interviews and other Academy-produced programming. Much of that content will be distributed through the Oscars’ official YouTube channel on a year-round basis.
Financial terms were not disclosed. The Oscars generated roughly $150 million in revenue during the Academy’s most recent fiscal year, with the bulk of that tied to Disney’s television rights deal. Sources familiar with the negotiations say Disney was reluctant to significantly increase its investment as ratings for the broadcast have declined and the cost of live awards programming has continued to rise.
Streaming emerged as a central factor in the Academy’s evaluation of its next media partner. The Oscars streamed online for the first time earlier this year via Hulu, a move that was widely viewed as an early signal of where future negotiations were headed. YouTube’s scale allows the Academy to reach a global audience directly rather than licensing the show market by market through local broadcasters.
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Company executives have emphasized the role of creators in expanding coverage around major events, and YouTube is expected to integrate creator access into red carpet and ancillary Oscar programming, though specific plans have not yet been detailed.
In a statement, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan called the Oscars an essential cultural institution and said the partnership would help expand access to the ceremony for audiences worldwide.
The deal also includes collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, which will assist in digitizing portions of the Academy Collection and providing online access to select Academy Museum exhibitions. The collection contains more than 52 million film-related items.
ABC acknowledged the end of its long-running partnership with the Academy in a statement Wednesday, calling itself proud to have been the home of the Oscars for more than half a century. The network said it looks forward to airing the next three ceremonies before the transition takes place.
By the time the Oscars arrive on YouTube in 2029, YouTube TV is expected to rank among the largest pay-TV distributors in the U.S., alongside YouTube’s existing global video footprint.
