The Academy Awards announced that the Oscars will move from ABC to YouTube beginning in 2029 in a remarkable deal.
YouTube will now be rolling out the red carpet for the Oscars—The Academy Awards—which have aired on ABC since 1976—and will now be moving over to the streaming platform starting in 2029, just one year after the ceremony’s 100th anniversary. In the landmark deal, YouTube outbid all other offers, allowing the Oscars ceremony to stream on the platform through 2033.
“Film’s biggest night is headed to @YouTube,” The Academy shared on social media Dec. 17 alongside an image that depicts an Oscar award next to the YouTube logo, “starting 2029.”
ABC will retain the rights to the world’s most watched awards telecast through 2028, which marks the 100th edition of the iconic ceremony. After that, the Oscars will be available for free on YouTube for viewers around the globe.
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in a statement, per Deadline. “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.”
And that’s not all. To mark the momentous move, the platform—owned by Google—will also broadcast related content, including pre-show red carpet coverage and exclusive behind-the-scenes in-show content. Additionally, YouTube is set to stream the Oscar nominations announcement, the Governors Awards (where the Academy presents honorary Oscars), the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, and more.
Though ABC has had a long-standing agreement with the awards show, it seems that The Academy couldn’t be happier about the new partnership.
“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,” added Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible — which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community.”
And in this new era for the Oscars, it seems accessibility was the selling point.
“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 continued. “We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.”
