Oscars to Stream Exclusively on YouTube from 2029, Ending ABC Broadcast Era

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

The Academy Awards will be shown exclusively on YouTube from 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday, marking a bold shift for an industry that has long been cautious about fully embracing streaming platforms, despite changing audience habits.

Under a new five-year agreement, Hollywood’s most prestigious awards ceremony will be available solely online for the first time, bringing to an end a decades-long broadcasting partnership with US network ABC.

In a joint statement, Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said the move would enable the Oscars to reach “the largest worldwide audience possible”, adding that the decision would be beneficial to Academy members and the wider film community.

ABC, which is owned by Disney, will continue to broadcast the ceremony until the end of its current contract in 2028, culminating with the 100th Academy Awards.

First held in 1929, the Oscars honour outstanding achievements in filmmaking across acting, directing, writing, and technical categories, and are widely regarded as the highest recognition in the global film industry. The ceremony has traditionally been one of the most-watched live television events in the United States, though viewership has declined in recent years as audiences increasingly turn to digital platforms.