Oscars to livestream on YouTube from 2029
The Academy Awards will be livestreamed on YouTube starting in 2029 after organisers reached a new distribution deal with the platform, ending ABC’s exclusive broadcast run that has lasted for more than five decades.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said the partnership would expand the global reach of the Oscars, allowing the ceremony to connect with a wider and younger audience through digital streaming. The agreement will run from 2029 to 2033.
ABC, owned by Walt Disney, will continue to broadcast the Oscars in 2026 and 2027, as well as the 100th anniversary ceremony in 2028. The network has televised the awards since 1976.
In recent years, viewership for the Oscars has declined as audiences increasingly turn to online platforms. The 2025 ceremony was simulcast on Hulu for the first time and attracted 19.7 million viewers in the United States, the highest figure in five years, despite technical disruptions during the broadcast.
Under the new arrangement, YouTube will livestream the Oscars for free and provide multiple language audio tracks and closed captioning to improve accessibility worldwide. The platform will also stream other Academy events such as the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominees luncheon, which have traditionally not been televised.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Reports indicated ABC attempted to retain the rights but was cautious about the cost amid declining profitability in traditional television broadcasting.
YouTube described the Oscars as a major cultural institution and said the partnership would help inspire new generations of filmmakers while preserving the ceremony’s legacy.
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