The Oscars Leave TV for YouTube in 2029

Well, that took longer than expected, but the last big broadcast holdout is going full streaming. The Oscars are moving to YouTube starting in 2029. Yes, YouTube outbid everyone — including ABC, which has carried the show since 1976 — and locked in a deal through 2033. Translation: the 101st Academy Awards will be on YouTube, and so will the next four after that.

So what actually changed?

Money and reach, mostly. ABC has been the Oscars home for over half a century, but streaming keeps creeping into live events, and this is the biggest swing yet. Netflix is already dabbling with live stuff (wrestling, SAG Awards), and had some early hiccups. YouTube, meanwhile, is globally accessible, free to watch, and built for discovery. For the Academy, that is catnip.

What YouTube gets (and what we get)

This isn’t just the main telecast. The platform is taking over the whole ecosystem around the show — and a bunch of the Academy’s year-round programming. The plan is for the Oscars to be available to anyone with access to YouTube, free. Beyond the show itself, the partnership includes coverage and potential hosting duties for:

• Red carpet, behind-the-scenes content, and the Governors Ball (all free to watch)
• The Governors Awards
• The Oscars nominations announcement
• The Oscars Nominees Luncheon
• The Student Academy Awards
• The Scientific and Technical Awards
• Academy member and filmmaker interviews
• Film education programs
• Podcasts

The timeline

ABC still has the show for three more ceremonies, including the centennial Oscars in 2028. After that, YouTube picks it up beginning with the 101st ceremony in 2029 and runs through 2033. It’s a global, multifaceted partnership, which is Academy-speak for: we’re putting as much of our stuff as possible where the most people can watch it.

What everyone is saying

'The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions... Partnering with the Academy to bring this celebration to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers,' YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said.

ABC, for its part, took the graceful exit lane, noting it has been the Oscars home for over 50 years, is focused on the next three telecasts — including that big 100th in 2028 — and wishes the Academy well.

The Academy framed this as a worldwide expansion: YouTube’s reach, plus new interactive bells and whistles, equals more access for audiences and filmmakers, while still keeping the legacy intact. That’s the sales pitch, anyway.

What it means for viewers

If YouTube pulls this off technically, it could be the most accessible Oscars ever: global, free, and with a lot more content orbiting the main show. Expect the build-up and the aftermath to feel bigger — more live angles, more clips, more ways to stumble into the show if you weren’t planning to watch.

Does moving the Oscars to YouTube make you more likely to tune in, or less? I’m curious.