Oscars to stream free on YouTube from 2029, ending decades-long TV run
text_fields
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has signed a multi-year agreement granting YouTube exclusive global streaming rights to the Oscars, starting in 2029 with the 101st Academy Awards and running through 2033.
ABC, which has broadcast the Oscars for decades, will retain the rights through the 2028 ceremony.
Under the new deal, the Oscars will be streamed live and free worldwide on YouTube.
In the United States, the ceremony will also be available to YouTube TV subscribers.
The partnership includes not just the main awards show but also red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes programming, and the Governors Ball. Commercials will continue to be part of the broadcast, sources told Variety.
Academy leaders said the move is aimed at expanding global access to the ceremony. Features such as closed captioning and multilingual audio tracks are expected to help reach a wider international audience.
“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,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement. They added that the collaboration would help the Academy connect with the largest worldwide audience possible while honouring the Oscars’ legacy.
Kramer said the partnership would allow the Academy to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers, and provide unprecedented access to its film history.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan called the Oscars “one of our essential cultural institutions,” adding that the partnership would inspire creativity and film appreciation globally while staying true to the event’s long-standing traditions.
The Academy had been shopping for a new broadcast licensing agreement for much of 2025. Both traditional broadcasters and unconventional bidders — including NBCUniversal, and Netflix — were reportedly in the race. Insiders told Variety that YouTube’s winning bid was valued at more than nine figures, surpassing high eight-figure offers from Disney/ABC and NBCUniversal.
The move marks a major shift for Hollywood’s most prestigious awards show, signalling a decisive turn away from traditional television toward global digital platforms.