David Bridges
Key Facts
- Partnership: The Oscars will be streamed exclusively on YouTube starting in 2029.
- Access: All YouTube users will have free access to the show and additional content until 2033.
- Content Expansion: The Oscars’ YouTube channel will feature year-round programming, including interviews and film education.
- Impact: This shift marks a significant change in the broadcasting landscape for the Academy and its audience.
If you ever for one second thought watching videos online was not the way of the future, the movie industry has made it official. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, aka the group behind the Oscars, just signed a new deal that will bring the biggest night in cinema exclusively to YouTube starting in 2029.
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” Neal Mohan, the CEO of YouTube, said in a press release. “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 show, as well as red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes access, after-party coverage, and more, will all be available free to all of YouTube’s more than two billion users starting in 2029 and running through 2033. From now until then, the show will remain on ABC, which is owned by Disney and has been airing the show for about 50 years.
In addition to the awards themselves, the aim is for the Oscars’ YouTube channel to have all sorts of content all year round, including new digital versions of classic Academy moments, interviews, film education programs, and all of the events around and surrounding the ceremony. “It will be a true hub for film fans and will be accessible from around the world,” according to the press release.
“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.
“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. 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.”
In the U.S., the Oscars are pretty regularly the highest-rated non-sporting event on television. For television itself, and especially a company as powerful as Disney, to lose the rights to a free streaming service speaks volumes to the state of not just the television and streaming industry, but the movie industry too. Clearly, the Academy thinks this is the way to expand its audience, to create new movie fans, and more. Will that be true? We have a few years to wait to find out.
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