Oscars to Stream on YouTube from 2029, a Major Blow to ABC

A historic decision has been made regarding the biggest event in the film industry, the Oscars Awards. From now on, in 2029, these awards will not be broadcast on the TV channel ABC but will be streamed directly on YouTube for free.

A major and historic announcement has been made regarding one of the biggest events in the film industry, the Oscars. From 2029, these awards will no longer be broadcast on the television channel ABC, but will be streamed directly on YouTube. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this significant change yesterday.

Oscars to Shift to YouTube From 2029

ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony until 2028, which will also mark the 100th Oscars celebration, a significant milestone. However, from 2029 to 2033, YouTube will hold the global streaming rights for the Oscars. This means that every Oscars-related event, from red-carpet coverage and the Governors Awards to the announcement of Oscar nominations, will be streamed on YouTube. Furthermore, preparations are underway to create a new digital platform on YouTube for all things Oscars.

Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang expressed their delight with this partnership, stating, "We are incredibly excited about this multifaceted global partnership with YouTube, which will be a new dimension for the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming in the future." They added that the Academy is an international network, and this partnership will help them extend the reach of the Academy's work to a wider global audience, benefiting both the organisation and their film network.

A Major Shift in the Film and TV Industry

This decision signifies a major shift in the film and television industry. The Oscars are the first of the four major award shows – Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, and Tonys – to completely move away from broadcast television and enter into a streaming partnership. This hands over one of the world's most-watched non-NFL events to Google-owned YouTube, which boasts approximately 2 billion viewers. The most exciting news is that the Academy Awards will be streamed for free worldwide on YouTube and will also be available to YouTube TV subscribers. Additionally, it will be accessible to viewers with audio tracks in multiple languages and closed captioning.

Furthermore, YouTube's Chief Executive Neal Mohan commented on this initiative, stating, "The Oscars is one of our most important cultural institutions, honouring the best in storytelling and talent." He added that bringing this celebration of art and entertainment to a global audience will inspire a new generation of creativity and cinema lovers.

ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company, has been the broadcast home of the Oscars for almost its entire history. NBC first telecast the Oscars in 1953, but ABC acquired the rights in 1961 and has consistently streamed the Oscars on ABC since 1971, except for a period between 1971 and 1975 when NBC again streamed the show.