The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has reached an agreement with YouTube for the exclusive rights to broadcast the Oscars from 2029 to 2033, bringing the prestigious awards show to over two billion global viewers and YouTube TV subscribers in the U.S. The deal includes streaming rights for behind-the-scenes content, red carpet coverage, and other academy events like the Governors Awards and Oscars nominee announcements on the Oscars YouTube channel. Multiple language audio tracks and closed captioning will be available for viewers. Financial details were not disclosed, and a broadcasting partner has not been named, leaving the availability of the award show on broadcast TV uncertain.
Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor and CEO Bill Kramer expressed their excitement about expanding the academy’s reach to a broader audience globally through this partnership. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan highlighted the opportunity to inspire creatives worldwide while honoring the Oscars’ esteemed legacy. The Disney ABC broadcast of the Oscars will continue until 2028, coinciding with the 100th edition of the awards, alongside the academy’s ongoing international partnership with Disney’s Buena Vista International.
This landmark deal represents a significant shift for the iconic Hollywood event, occurring amidst the industry’s transformation towards streaming services and the competitive landscape for content acquisition. ABC, the long-standing broadcast home of the Oscars, expressed pride in hosting the awards for over fifty years and extended well wishes for the academy’s future success. The 2025 Oscars achieved a five-year viewership high of 19.7 million total viewers, as reported by Disney, with the awards being streamed digitally on Hulu for the first time. Despite some technical challenges experienced by viewers during the live stream, the digital platform marked a new era for Oscars accessibility.
