Oscars to stream live on YouTube globally from 2029, ending ABC’s decades-long run

The Academy Awards are set for a major distribution shift, with organisers announcing that the Oscars will stream live worldwide on YouTube starting in 2029, marking the end of a decades-long run on US broadcast television.

The move will bring the film industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony to a global streaming audience after ABC, owned by Walt Disney, has carried the Oscars every year since 1976. The transition reflects a broader industry reality, as traditional TV audiences for major awards shows continue to thin while viewers increasingly migrate to streaming platforms.

Although the Oscars saw a rebound earlier this year, viewership remains far below historic highs. The 2025 ceremony attracted 19.7 million viewers in the United States, the strongest audience in five years, but still a fraction of the 57 million viewers recorded in 1998. The 2025 event was also made available via live streaming on Hulu, signalling the Academy’s growing comfort with digital platforms.

Financial terms of the agreement with YouTube were not disclosed. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, ABC attempted to retain broadcast rights but was unwilling to significantly raise its bid. The source added that generating consistent profits from the telecast has become increasingly challenging for the network in recent years.

Under the new arrangement, YouTube will provide closed captioning and multilingual audio options, expanding access for international audiences. The agreement, jointly announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube, will begin with the 2029 Oscars and run through 2033.

“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honouring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in a statement.

The Academy said the partnership would allow the ceremony to reach viewers on an unprecedented scale.

“We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement.

Beyond the main ceremony, YouTube will also stream Academy events that have traditionally taken place away from television cameras, including the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominees luncheon.

ABC will continue to broadcast the Oscars in the United States for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 ceremonies, with the final broadcast coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Academy Awards.