The Academy Awards shifts from ABC to YouTube
Stunning deal builds streaming’s clout and is a huge blow to linear TV
In a stunning deal with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – and one that could be the death knell to linear TV, Google’s YouTube – yes, the video portal where you can watch anything from cat videos to old commercials, has landed the Oscars starting in 2029.
The event – including the red carpet arrivals, the Governor’s Ball, and the show itself- will be made available for free exclusively to YouTube users and YouTubeTV subscribers worldwide; this means linear TV deals in other countries (such as Canada’s CTV) would also come to an end, though this was not clarified in the announcement. The deal runs for four years, after ABC’s current pact expires in 2028.
“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor, in a joint statement. “The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible — which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community. 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.”
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. “Partnering with the Academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”
For Disney-owned ABC, it’s the end of an era, as they aired the Academy Awards since 1976, and also between 1960 and 1970, including the first color telecast in 1966.
“ABC has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century,” the network said in a statement. “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.”
Disney was willing to keep the Oscars, but was topped by YouTube. Other media conglomerates in the bidding included NBCUniversal and Netflix, which recently struck video podcast deals with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports, and acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery. Disney was looking to pay less for the awards as ratings for the event – as is for the linear TV – have been declining for years, with the 2025 awards drawing 18.1 million viewers, though it was larger than the 16.6 million it drew in 2022, infamous for Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage.
The network downplayed the loss of the Oscars, but it will have a financial impact as in the past, ABC made millions from ad sales, touting it as the “Super Bowl for women.” The ABC-owned stations will also lose revenue from adjacent programming around the Oscars, from On The Red Carpet pre-show interviews to the after-party specials. The Oscars’ strongest ratings often came from the largest markets where ABC owns stations, including WLS-TV Chicago and KABC-TV Los Angeles, where the ceremony is held.
ABC sees the return of The Grammys in 2027, but music’s biggest night draws only a fraction of what the Oscars draw.
For YouTube, it’s a huge step for the video portal, which launched in 2005 and since become a global powerhouse. In October, YouTube accounted for thirteen percent of all television viewing according to Nielsen. In recent years, YouTube’s app has been available on most smart TVs, making it easier to access. YouTube has also held upfront presentations in New York alongside other major media companies for the last few years, making its pitches to advertisers on Madison Avenue.
Disney, which has streamed the Oscars on Hulu in the past, was second with an 11.4 percent share, which includes ESPN, ABC, Hulu, and Disney+.
As for linear TV, the Academy Awards’ exit further questions the viability of broadcast television. The NFL plans to renegotiate its TV deals in 2029, which could move those highly lucrative football games to deep-pocketed streamers, as the league already has rights deals with Netflix and Amazon.
This is one of the reasons why the National Association of Broadcasters – along with broadcast groups like Nexstar and Sinclair — is lobbying the FCC and Congress to either raise or eliminate the ownership cap on how many local stations they can buy, arguing that broadcasters are overregulated, while their tech counterparts face no such restrictions. With station groups losing Academy Awards on their ABC affiliates, they further state their case.
The situation for ABC and other broadcast networks is worsened by ongoing conflicts with their affiliates over various issues, including content and the amount of “reverse compensation” that local stations should pay to the networks – something FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has kept his eye on, siding with local broadcasters. A few stations have walked away from network TV life, including WHDH Boston and WPLG Miami, both now independents.
As for the Oscars’ move to YouTube, this further cements streaming as the main way viewers are watching programming, having surpassed cable and broadcast. However, several questions arise from this move: How will Nielsen measure the Oscars? Will viewers flock to YouTube to watch? Will marketers be able to reach viewers as much as they did on ABC? All of these questions will be answered in due time.