The Academy Awards are about to break one of television’s longest running habits. Starting in 2029, the Oscars ceremony will no longer air on traditional broadcast TV and will instead stream only on YouTube, turning one of entertainment’s biggest nights into a fully digital event. The move ends a half century of continuity and signals how even the most established institutions are reshaping themselves around online viewing.
The shift is more than a change of channel. It is a test of whether a global, free streaming platform can keep the Oscars relevant for younger viewers while preserving the prestige that comes from a prime time broadcast showcase. It is also a high stakes moment for legacy networks, advertisers and the broader film industry that has long treated the telecast as a barometer of Hollywood’s health.
The end of a 50-year broadcast era
The Oscars have been part of the fabric of broadcast television for generations, and the decision to leave ABC closes a chapter that has defined how audiences experience awards season. Aside from a brief stretch between 1971 and 1975 when NBC carried the show, the Oscars have been on ABC, turning the network into the ceremony’s longtime home and anchoring its identity as a destination for live events. That continuity will end when the current agreement expires and, as one report notes, The Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving longtime home of ABC, a symbolic break that underscores how quickly viewing habits have shifted away from linear TV.
The Academy Awards have not just been another program in ABC’s lineup, they have been a flagship event that delivered prestige and, in strong years, tens of millions of viewers. One analysis points out that the ceremony’s run on ABC has lasted a 50-year span, a remarkable stretch in the Academy’s century-long history that helped define the relationship between Hollywood and broadcast television. Ending that partnership is not just a programming decision, it is a public acknowledgment that the center of gravity for live viewing is moving online.
Inside the Academy’s YouTube deal
Behind the headline about a platform switch is a sweeping rights agreement that reshapes how the Academy packages and distributes its content. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has entered into a multiyear arrangement that gives YouTube exclusive global rights to stream the Oscars ceremony along with a slate of related programming. The official announcement describes how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube agreed that starting in 2029, the platform will carry the Oscars and a range of other Academy content, including programs, podcasts and more, under a single exclusive global rights partnership.
The structure of the deal reflects a bet that consolidating everything from the red carpet to educational initiatives in one digital ecosystem will deepen engagement beyond a single night. Reporting on the agreement notes that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences signed a multiyear deal with YouTube that will make The Oscars available worldwide and free to watch, extending far beyond the domestic partnership the Academy has had with Disney and ABC. One account highlights that The Academy has a domestic partnership with Disney and ABC that will give way to a global streaming arrangement, a shift that aligns the Oscars with the borderless nature of online video.
Why the Academy is betting on streaming
From the Academy’s perspective, the move is framed as a proactive response to how audiences now consume media rather than a retreat from broadcast. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor have said in a joint statement that the transition is intended to help the organization reach viewers where they already are and to modernize the way the ceremony is presented. In explaining the strategy, they emphasized that Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor see YouTube as a platform that can support not only the main telecast but also year round initiatives that connect with fans and filmmakers.
The Academy is also responding to a decade of ratings volatility and changing viewer behavior that has chipped away at the old broadcast model. Analysts have noted that younger audiences are more likely to encounter Oscar moments as clips on their phones than as part of a three hour appointment viewing block, and the organization is trying to meet that reality head on. One report on the shift explains that The Oscars will leave ABC for YouTube in 2029 in part because the Academy wants to experiment with formats that feel native to digital platforms, from interactive features to expanded behind the scenes coverage, rather than simply simulcasting a traditional TV show online.
How YouTube plans to turn the Oscars into a global event
YouTube’s pitch to the Academy centers on reach and flexibility, promising to make the Oscars accessible to anyone with an internet connection instead of limiting the show to households with a cable or antenna feed. The new arrangement gives YouTube exclusive global rights to stream the ceremony, which means viewers in markets that previously relied on local broadcasters or delayed feeds will be able to watch live on the same platform. Coverage of the agreement notes that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube have structured the deal so that the platform will carry the Oscars and other Academy content worldwide, a shift described as The Oscars Moves to YouTube in 2029 Under New Global Rights Deal that opens up real time access across time zones.
Beyond the main telecast, YouTube is positioning itself as a hub for everything that surrounds the Oscars brand. The platform already hosts trailers, interviews and fan commentary, and the new partnership will formalize that ecosystem with official channels and curated experiences. One detailed breakdown of the plan notes that the Academy will use YouTube to expand its slate of digital series, educational initiatives and other programming that can live alongside the ceremony, with the site highlighting how podcasts and educational initiatives will be part of the broader content strategy. In practice, that means the Oscars will no longer be a single night spike but a year round presence in viewers’ recommendation feeds.
What this means for ABC and traditional TV
For ABC, losing the Oscars is a blow to its identity as a home for marquee live events and a reminder of how fragile long term rights relationships have become. The network has carried the ceremony for decades, building programming blocks and promotional campaigns around the show, and its departure leaves a hole that will be hard to fill with scripted series or smaller specials. One account of the transition underscores that Oscars will move to YouTube from ABC starting in 2029, a change that arrives as broadcast networks are already grappling with cord cutting and the migration of sports and other tentpole events to streaming platforms.
The broader broadcast industry is treating the move as a warning sign that even legacy franchises are no longer guaranteed to stay on linear TV. Analysts have pointed out that the Oscars’ exit from ABC comes at a time when networks are fighting to retain live sports rights and reality competitions that still draw large real time audiences. A detailed examination of the shift notes that What the Oscars moving to YouTube means for broadcast TV is a reordering of the live event hierarchy, with digital platforms now competing head to head for the kinds of cultural moments that once belonged almost exclusively to the big three networks.
How viewers’ experience will change
For audiences, the most immediate change is practical: watching the Oscars will no longer require a cable subscription, a digital antenna or a login tied to a pay TV provider. Instead, anyone with access to YouTube will be able to stream the ceremony free of charge, whether on a smart TV, phone, tablet or game console. Coverage of the deal emphasizes that the Academy Awards will end their run on ABC and begin streaming exclusively and free of charge on YouTube starting in 2029, with one report summarizing that The Academy Awards will end their 50-year run on ABC to stream exclusively and free of charge on YouTube, a shift that removes one of the last major appointment broadcasts from the pay TV bundle.
The viewing experience itself is also likely to feel different, shaped by YouTube’s interface and culture. Instead of a single linear feed, viewers may toggle between the main show, backstage streams, creator hosted watch parties and official highlight clips, all within the same app. Analysts who have examined the transition describe it as a Major shift from broadcast TV in how audiences will discover and interact with the show, with features like live chat, real time polling and instant replay clips likely to become part of the Oscars ritual for viewers who are used to second screen engagement.
Hollywood’s reaction and the stakes for the film industry
Inside Hollywood, the move has been met with a mix of curiosity, anxiety and cautious optimism. For studios and talent, the Oscars telecast is not just a celebration but a marketing platform that can boost box office and streaming numbers for nominated films, and there are questions about how that impact will translate in a digital only environment. One analysis of the fallout notes that the decision is sending shock waves through Hollywood because it alters one of entertainment’s biggest nights, with observers watching closely to see whether a YouTube based show can match the cultural footprint of a broadcast event that once dominated the ratings, a concern captured in coverage of What the Oscars moving to YouTube means for broadcast TV and, by extension, for the industry that relies on the show’s visibility.
At the same time, the film community sees potential upside in the global reach and data rich environment that YouTube offers. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has said that the partnership is designed to serve both its members and the broader film community by expanding access and engagement. Reporting on the agreement notes that The Oscars are headed to YouTube after ABC deal ends under a deal that Academy leaders say will allow them to experiment with new formats and outreach efforts. For filmmakers whose work often finds its audience online first, the idea of an Oscars ecosystem that lives on the same platform as trailers, interviews and fan essays is an intriguing prospect.
The broader shift from broadcast to digital
The Oscars’ move is part of a larger realignment in how live events are distributed, one that has already seen sports leagues, music festivals and political debates migrate to streaming platforms. What makes this decision stand out is the symbolism: a ceremony that once epitomized the power of network television is now embracing the same platform that hosts vlogs, gaming streams and short form clips. Analysts have framed the transition as a sign that the old hierarchy between “prestige” broadcast content and user generated video is collapsing, with one report on why the Oscars are changing how you watch them describing the move as a major shift that reflects where audiences already spend their time.
For the broader media landscape, the deal underscores how power has tilted toward platforms that can offer global distribution, granular audience data and flexible ad products. The Academy’s decision to grant YouTube exclusive global rights to the ceremony and related content shows that even institutions built in the analog era are now optimizing for digital scale and interactivity. Coverage of the agreement that details how The Oscars Moves to YouTube in 2029 Under New Global Rights Deal highlights that this is not a one off experiment but a long term bet that the future of live cultural events lies in streaming, with broadcast television playing a smaller, more specialized role.
What to watch as 2029 approaches
Between now and the first YouTube only ceremony, both the Academy and the platform will be under pressure to prove that the new model can deliver on its promise. I will be watching how the Academy uses its remaining years on ABC to test digital extensions and how aggressively YouTube integrates Oscars branding into its product, from homepage takeovers to Shorts campaigns. Reports that Oscars will move to YouTube from ABC starting in 2029 suggest that the transition period will be critical for educating viewers, advertisers and international partners about what the new viewing experience will look like.
The success of the move will ultimately be measured not only in concurrent streams but in whether the Oscars can maintain their status as a shared cultural moment in an era of fragmented attention. The Academy’s leaders, including Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor, are betting that a free, globally accessible stream will expand the audience and reinvigorate interest in the ceremony. Whether that bet pays off will say a lot about how far the center of gravity has shifted from the living room TV to the apps on our phones by the time 2029 arrives.
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