Starting in 2029, Hollywood's biggest night will be a YouTube stream, not an ABC broadcast. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has struck a multi-year deal making YouTube the exclusive global home of the Oscars from the 101st ceremony in 2029 through 2033, ending the show's decades-long run on ABC when that contract expires in 2028, Variety reports. The agreement covers the main telecast, red carpet, behind-the-scenes segments, and the Governors Ball, and will be free to watch worldwide, including via YouTube TV in the US.
Academy leaders Bill Kramer and Lynette Howell Taylor called it a "multifaceted global partnership" they say will expand access via features like multilingual audio tracks and captions, and give the Academy more direct control over its programming. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan framed the deal as aligning the platform with a "cultural institution" and a way to spark new interest in moviemaking. Industry sources tell Variety the video giant outbid Disney/ABC and NBCUniversal with a deal believed to top nine figures, after Disney had been pushing to pay less than the roughly $100 million a year it had been shelling out amid sliding ratings.
YouTube lacks the in-house live-event production muscle of traditional networks or big streamers, and the Academy may end up taking over more of the show itself—a shift that also frees it from broadcast time limits and long-running fights over show length, awards order, and hosts. Now, "they can do whatever they want," an insider tells Variety. "You can have a six-hour Oscars hosted by MrBeast."
Insiders tell Deadline that while the deal may seem like a blow to ABC, it comes as something of a relief, since the figure the Academy was seeking didn't make financial sense. "ABC has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century," a spokeswoman said. "We look forward to the next three telecasts, including the show's centennial celebration in 2028, and wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued success."
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