In what industry observers are calling a watershed moment for entertainment broadcasting, the Oscars have partnered exclusively with YouTube for global streaming rights spanning 2029 to 2033. This four-year agreement positions the video platform as the singular destination for cinema’s most prestigious awards ceremony, definitively moving beyond traditional broadcast television.
The partnership encompasses an extensive array of content beyond the primary ceremony. YouTube will provide comprehensive coverage including red carpet arrivals, exclusive backstage content, Governors Ball access, the Governors Awards, nomination reveals, the nominees Luncheon, student Academy awards, continuous educational programming, podcasts, and filmmaker interviews—creating a complete Academy ecosystem accessible to global audiences year-round.
Academy executives emphasized that this decision serves their mission of reaching the widest possible international audience. With voting membership now including 21% from outside the United States, the organization views this partnership with a globally accessible platform as essential for democratizing access to Academy programming and strengthening global film community connections.
YouTube’s dominant position in streaming and proven live event capabilities make it well-suited for this responsibility. The platform consistently ranks as America’s most-watched streaming service and recently broadcast an NFL game to more than 17 million viewers, showcasing infrastructure capable of supporting the Oscars’ global audience and technical demands.
The transition provides ABC with three additional broadcasts, culminating in the prestigious 100th anniversary ceremony in 2028, offering a respectful conclusion to over five decades of partnership. Meanwhile, YouTube prepares to welcome the Oscars into the streaming era, where the platform’s billions of users worldwide will have direct access to Hollywood’s biggest night.