The Oscars and ABC are breaking up, and Hollywood’s marquee awards show is moving to YouTube.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the news on Wednesday, Dec. 17, saying it inked a multi-year deal giving YouTube exclusive rights to the awards from 2029 to 2033.
ABC, which has aired the ceremony for decades, will continue to broadcast the Oscars through 2028 for the 100th anniversary show.
After that, the awards show, red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes footage, and other content will be available live and for free on YouTube to viewers around the world, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the U.S.
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The new partnership with YouTube and parent company Google includes exclusive rights to the Governors Awards, the Oscars nominations announcement, the Oscars nominees luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, Academy interviews, film education programs, and podcasts. The content will be available on the Oscars YouTube channel.
“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,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement.
The two noted that the agreement will help the Academy’s content reach “the largest worldwide audience possible.”
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” added Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube. “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.”
The academy had been looking for a new home as its contract with ABC nears its end.
On Wednesday, Variety reported AMPAS held talks with ABC, NBCUniversal and Netflix, but Google offered the biggest check. The Academy’s most recent contract with ABC was reportedly for around $100 million annually, but the network was looking to slash the license fee for its next contract.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences launched in 1927, and the first Academy Awards ceremony was a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929, according to the Academy website.
The ceremony moved to television in 1953, and aired on NBC until 1960. After that, the telecast changed networks a couple of times. ABC regained the rights in 1976 and has aired the ceremony ever since.
The most-watched ceremony aired in 1998 and was seen by more than 55 million viewers when Titanic won 11 Oscars, including best picture.
Lately, the show’s ratings have been on the decline, like most other awards programs.
In recent years, the highest-rated Oscars aired in 2014, when Ellen DeGeneres hosted and 43.7 viewers watched. In 2016 a total 34.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the show hosted by Chris Rock.
In 2022, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, the ceremony was hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. A total 16.62 million viewers watched as previously reported. The 2025 Oscars hosted by Conan O’Brien, saw the ratings rise to 19.7 million viewers.
The 2026 Oscars will air live Sunday, March 15, on ABC.
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