Oscars Announce Digital Leap, Academy Awards To Ditch Television For YouTube Starting 2029!

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For nearly a century, the Oscars have been a television ritual. Families gathered around living room screens, red carpet commentary filled the air, and the Academy Awards felt inseparable from broadcast TV. But soon that equation is about to change.

Starting from 2029, the Oscars will no longer air on traditional television. Instead, they will stream exclusively on YouTube, marking one of the biggest shifts in awards show history.

What Exactly Is Changing In 2029?

The 101st Academy Awards, scheduled for 2029, will be the first Oscars ceremony to stream live on YouTube worldwide. This move officially ends the show's long-running broadcast partnership with ABC, which will continue airing the ceremony only until the 100th Oscars in 2028. From 2029 onwards, YouTube will hold exclusive global rights to the main awards ceremony.

What Does The YouTube Deal Include?

The agreement between the Academy and YouTube covers:

• The live Oscars ceremony
• Red carpet coverage
• Behind-the-scenes content
• The Governors Awards
• Year-round Academy programming such as nominations announcements, interviews, special features, and educational content

In short, YouTube becomes the primary home for the Oscars not just for one night, but all year.

Will Viewers Have To Pay?

No. The Oscars will stream live and free on YouTube globally. In the United States, the ceremony will also be available via YouTube TV for subscribers. This is a major accessibility shift compared to traditional cable-dependent broadcasts.

Why The Academy Is Making This Move

The decision reflects how audiences now watch major events. Television viewership for award shows has steadily declined, while digital platforms dominate how younger and international audiences consume content. YouTube offers the Academy something broadcast television no longer can: mass global reach in one place.

With billions of logged-in users worldwide, YouTube allows the Oscars to meet viewers where they already are-on phones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs.

What Happens To ABC And Traditional TV?

ABC will still broadcast the Oscars through 2028, including the milestone 100th ceremony. After that, the show exits broadcast television entirely. This makes the Oscars one of the most high-profile entertainment events to fully abandon traditional TV for a digital-only platform.

What This Means For The Oscars As A Brand

Streaming on YouTube opens up new possibilities:

• Greater interaction through live comments and real-time engagement
• Easier access for international audiences
• Broader appeal to younger viewers who rarely watch scheduled TV
• At the same time, it raises questions about how the ceremony's tone, pacing, and presentation might evolve in a digital-first space.

The Timeline At A Glance

• 2028: Oscars air on ABC for the final time (100th ceremony)
• 2029: Oscars begin exclusive global streaming on YouTube
• 2029-2033: YouTube holds streaming rights under the current deal

What We Don't Know Yet

The financial terms of the agreement have not been made public. The Academy has also not detailed whether the format or runtime of the ceremony will change once it moves fully online. Those answers are likely to emerge closer to 2029.

The Oscars moving to YouTube is a signal. The Academy is acknowledging that prestige alone no longer guarantees attention, and accessibility now matters as much as tradition.

By shifting to YouTube, the Oscars are betting on reach, relevance, and a global audience that no longer waits for prime-time television. Whether this reshapes how the ceremony feels remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Oscars are officially stepping into a streaming-first future.