After decades on broadcast television, the Academy Awards are officially making a historic move to YouTube. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has signed a multi-year agreement granting YouTube exclusive global rights to the Oscars beginning in 2029, starting with the 101st Academy Awards and running through 2033.
The deal marks the first time the Oscars will leave traditional broadcast in favor of a digital-first platform.
Under the partnership, the Oscars will stream live and free worldwide on YouTube, reaching more than 2 billion users. In the U.S., the ceremony will also be available to YouTube TV subscribers. The move is designed to expand access for international audiences, with built-in features including multilingual audio tracks and closed captioning.
Beyond the ceremony itself, YouTube will become the exclusive home for a wide range of Academy programming. That includes red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes access, the Governors Ball, Governors Awards, nominations announcements, the Nominees Luncheon, Student Academy Awards, Scientific and Technical Awards, filmmaker interviews, podcasts, and film education initiatives, all centralized on the official Oscars YouTube channel.
The partnership also extends beyond awards season. Through Google Arts & Culture, YouTube will help digitize and showcase select exhibitions and programs from the Academy Museum, along with portions of the Academy Collection, the world’s largest film-related archive with more than 52 million items. The goal is to create a global hub for film history, education, and discovery.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said the move reflects the Academy’s increasingly international focus and its desire to reach the broadest possible audience while honoring its legacy. “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. 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.”
They added, “This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy. We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.”
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan called the Oscars one of the world’s most important cultural institutions. “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.”
ABC will remain the Academy’s domestic broadcast partner through the 100th Oscars in 2028, with Disney’s Buena Vista International continuing to handle international broadcast rights through that milestone year. Starting in 2029, however, the Oscars’ future will live on YouTube.
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