Oscars To Live Stream On YouTube Starting 2029
By Preeti Chandan
LOS ANGELES, CA – After more than five decades on ABC TV, the Oscars will move to YouTube starting with the 101st Oscars in 2029, marking a significant shift in the award show’s broadcast strategy and viewing experience.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced this week that it had signed an exclusive multi-faceted contract running 2029 – 2033 with YouTube, the world’s largest online video-sharing and streaming platform, owned by Google.
As a result, a full slate of the Oscars-related events including the Awards ceremony, red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and Governors Ball will be available live and free to over two billion viewers worldwide on YouTube and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States.
YouTube will help make the Oscars accessible to the global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks in multiple languages, the Academy said in a news release.
In addition, the partnership will make available a host of other Oscars events and the Academy’s year-round programming to global film fans such the Governor’s 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, and podcasts exclusively on the Oscars YouTube channel.
The Google Arts & Culture initiative will also help provide online access to select Academy Museum exhibitions, programs, and its film-related collection, which is the largest in the world. It will be a true hub for film fans and will be accessible from around the world, according to the news release.
“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,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor.
The Academy’s domestic partnership for the Oscars will continue with Disney ABC through the 100th Oscars in 2028, as will the international partnership for the Oscars with Disney’s Buena Vista International.
The Oscars have been televised since 1953. Its ratings have been in decline in recent years, and the transition to YouTube is expected to deliver a substantial boost.
Nominations for the upcoming 98th Oscars will be announced on January 22, 2026. India’s official entry, Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, is among the 15 films shortlisted and up for nomination in the Best International Feature Film category .
The Awards ceremony will be held on March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
