‘Oscars’ Leave Television: Starting in 2029, the Ceremony Will Stream for Free on YouTube
Aleksandr Manin
The world’s most prestigious film award is undergoing a radical format change. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has signed a multi-year agreement with YouTube: starting in 2029, the Oscars will be broadcast exclusively on Google’s platform, free of charge and worldwide. The contract begins with the 101st ceremony and runs through 2033. Until 2028, the awards will remain on ABC, where they have aired for decades.
The move to YouTube includes not only the ceremony itself, but also all related programming — the red carpet, backstage coverage, the Governors Ball, and other Academy content. In the U.S., the broadcast will also be available via YouTube TV. The Academy emphasizes that the decision is driven by the platform’s global reach and multilingual features.
According to insiders, YouTube paid a nine-figure sum for the rights, outbidding offers from Disney/ABC and NBCUniversal. For comparison, Disney reportedly paid around $100 million per year, but amid declining ratings was prepared to spend less. YouTube’s victory came as a surprise: the market did not expect a pure streaming platform without its own traditional live TV infrastructure to surpass legacy media conglomerates.
One of the key factors behind the deal was control over the format. YouTube has no rigid time slots, ad grid, or strict structural limitations for the show. Sources claim this flexibility may have tipped the scales in favor of streaming. YouTube itself calls the agreement a strategic move.
‘The Oscars’ are one of the most important cultural institutions. We want to bring this celebration of cinema to audiences around the world while preserving its legacy.
The context of the deal is telling. Television ratings for the Oscars are no longer what they once were: even the infamous Will Smith slap incident in 2022 only raised viewership to 16.6 million. In 2025, the ceremony drew 18.1 million viewers — far from the peak of 57 million in 1998, when all of America was watching Titanic.
Disney stresses that the split is amicable: ABC will retain the rights for three more ceremonies, including the anniversary show in 2028.
We are proud to have been the home of the Oscars for more than half a century.
For the industry, however, the move itself is symbolic: one of television’s biggest traditions is effectively acknowledging that the future of mass events lies in streaming. For now, it is known that the next Academy Awards ceremony will take place on the night of March 16, 2026.
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