The Oscars are officially going all-in on YouTube. In a major shake-up for Hollywood’s biggest night, the Academy has signed a multi-year deal that will make YouTube the exclusive global streaming home for the Oscars from 2029 to 2033.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube confirmed the agreement in a press release, announcing that the partnership will begin at the 101st Oscars ceremony in 2029. The show, along with red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, access to Governors Ball and more, will be streamed live for free worldwide on YouTube and will also be available to viewers in the U.S. through YouTube TV.
“We are excited to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to make it the home of future Oscar ceremonies and year-round Academy programming,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will benefit Academy members and the film community by expanding access to Academy films to as wide an audience as possible around the world. “It will infuse innovative opportunities to leverage the vast influence of the Academy and engage with Oscar and other Academy programs while respecting the Academy’s traditions. We will be able to celebrate film, inspire a new generation of filmmakers, and provide access to film history on an unprecedented global scale.”
YouTube CEO Neil Mohan said the deal was a natural fit for the platform’s ambitions. “The Oscars are one of our most important cultural institutions, celebrating excellence in storytelling and artistry,” he said. “Partnering with the Academy to bring this arts and entertainment extravaganza to audiences around the world will stay true to Oscar’s storied legacy while inspiring a new generation of creatives and film lovers.”
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It’s not just Oscar night
This agreement goes far beyond a major ceremony. YouTube will also be the global home for a wide range of Academy programming, including the Governor’s Awards, Oscar Nominations Announcement, Oscar Nominations Luncheon, Student Academy Awards, Science and Technology Awards, and more. Interviews with Academy members and filmmakers, film education programs, podcasts, and other behind-the-scenes content are also part of the package.
This expanded footprint raises practical questions about how the Oscars experience will evolve on a platform built around interactivity, creators, and live engagement. The Academy hasn’t said how the presentation or pace will change, but YouTube’s ecosystem opens the door to an entirely different ambient experience than the traditional broadcast TV that’s been tolerated.
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Moving the Oscars to YouTube removes many of the restrictions that have shaped the ceremony for decades, such as fixed broadcast slots and strict schedules. This freedom could allow for more flexible pacing and fewer interruptions, but it also leaves open how ads will be handled during live, free global streams on a platform fundamentally built on ads.
There’s also the issue of presentation. YouTube is home to creators with audiences comparable to major Hollywood stars, and while the Academy has not signaled that the awards show itself will move toward an influencer culture, partnerships focused on reaching new generations will inevitably spark curiosity about how traditional Oscar sensibilities will coexist within YouTube’s broader environment.
Also read: Every Best Picture winner since 2000: From ‘Gladiator’ to ‘Anora’
ABC will remain home until its 100th anniversary
For now, nothing changes. The Academy confirmed that Disney’s domestic broadcast partnership with ABC will continue through the 100th Oscar Awards in 2028, and that Disney’s international distribution through Buena Vista International will also continue through that milestone year.
Additionally, details such as production leadership, management of live audience interaction, and whether traditional broadcast access will continue alongside YouTube have yet to be announced.
What is clear is the scale of the change. Associated with theatrical prestige for nearly a century and anchored in television broadcasts for decades, the Oscars is preparing for a future defined by streaming, global reach and digital-first audiences. How smoothly this transition will go will become clear in the years leading up to 2029.
Tom Cruise receives Honorary Academy Award at this year’s 16th Governors Awards
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