The Oscars Are Leaving ABC for YouTube Starting in 2029

After decades on ABC, the Oscars are moving to YouTube.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced December 17 that it signed a multi-year deal with YouTube, giving the streaming platform exclusive global rights to the Oscars beginning with the 101st Academy Awards ceremony in 2029. The contract runs through 2033.

The deal will make live, free coverage of the Oscars available on YouTube, including red carpet and behind-the-scenes content as well as Governors Ball access.

"YouTube will help make the Oscars accessible to the Academy's growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages," the Academy wrote in a news release.

So, the Oscars are going from broadcast TV to free streaming on YouTube. That's a pretty big shift.

The Latest Awards Show to Jump to Streaming

This is the latest shift of awards shows to streaming services. Netflix began airing the Actor Awards (formerly the Screen Actors Guild Awards) in 2024. This year's 97th Academy Awards ceremony was the first to air live on Hulu alongside the ABC broadcast.

The 2025 Oscars marked a five-year high in ratings with 19.7 million viewers after cratering during the pandemic. But it also showed "dramatic growth," according to Disney, among younger audiences watching on their digital devices.

Oscar ratings overall have been declining for years. The 2014 ceremony drew 43 million viewers. Compare that to 19.7 million in 2025. That's less than half.

Younger audiences don't watch broadcast TV. They watch YouTube. So, the Academy is going where the viewers are.

What Else Is Included

In addition to the ceremony itself, the Oscars YouTube channel will offer access to other Academy events: the Governors Awards, the Oscars nominations announcement, the Oscars nominees luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards. Plus, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, film education programs, and podcasts.

Basically, everything the Academy does is moving to YouTube.

"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," said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor in a joint statement.

"The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible—which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community."

Translation: More people watch YouTube than ABC. Especially internationally.

YouTube Is Excited

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan celebrated the move. "The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry. Partnering with the Academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy."

That's a lot of corporate speak for "we just landed the Oscars."

What This Means

The Oscars will be free to watch on YouTube starting in 2029. No cable subscription needed. No streaming service subscription needed. Just go to YouTube.

That's actually a huge improvement for accessibility. Right now you need cable or Hulu to watch the Oscars live. After 2029, you just need internet and a YouTube account.

Plus closed captioning and audio tracks in multiple languages. So, the Academy is serious about making this globally accessible.

The downside? YouTube comments during the Oscars ceremony. That's going to be its own form of entertainment. Also, ads. YouTube is free, but it's ad-supported. So expect commercials. Probably a lot of them during a three-plus hour awards show.

Why This Makes Sense

Broadcast TV ratings are tanking. Younger audiences don't watch traditional TV. They watch streaming platforms and YouTube. The Oscars lost more than half their audience between 2014 and 2025. That's not sustainable.

Moving to YouTube gives them access to a global audience. It's basically admitting that broadcast TV is dying and YouTube is where the viewers are. Which is true.

The Oscars have been on ABC since 1976. That's almost 50 years. Now they're moving to the platform where people watch movie trailers, film reviews, and celebrity interviews. You'll be able to watch the Oscars on YouTube starting in 2029 for free. No subscription required. Just ads.

Welcome to the future of awards shows. It's on YouTube now.

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