The world's largest award show is headling to the small screen from its TV broadcast. In a surprise and shocking announcement, The Academy's social media handles as well as YouTube announced that they have signed a multi-year deal that will give YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars ceremony starting from 2029, which will mark the 101st year of the awards show, to 2033.
TV Network ABC, owned by Disney, has been holding the rights to stream the ceremony and will continue to broadcast it till 2028, the 100th Academy Awards.
All events surrounding the show including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content and Governors Ball, will be available live and free for all viewers globally. According to reports, Advertisements will also be shown during the ceremony while it is being streamed. The move is aimed at making the awards show more accessible to global audiences through "closed captioning" and "audio tracks available in multiple languages." The Academy has also recently tried to diversify its voting body, increasing international voters with 21 per cent now from outside the US.
"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 the Academy CEO, Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor in a 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."
"The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. “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."
Inside reports reveal that YouTube had given The Academy around a nine-figure rate to hold streaming rights, overthrowing the eight-figure deal from Disney/ABC and NBC Universal.
It's currently unknown how viewership will be measured on YouTube, but at the same time, The Academy airing network is not taking into consideration the ratings. For the executives in Disney/ABC, letting go of Oscars streaming rights will be a major blow for their network.
The upcoming Oscars 2026 takes place in March and it will be the first time in Academy history that it will feature an award for casting. Shortlisted movies for the awards were announced recently with nominations set to be revealed in January.
