Digital streaming platforms achieve another major victory as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces exclusive partnership with YouTube for Oscar broadcasting rights. Beginning in 2029 and extending through 2033, this four-year agreement fundamentally transforms how global audiences experience Hollywood’s pinnacle celebration, relocating the ceremony from traditional network television to digital platforms with worldwide accessibility and enhanced content delivery capabilities.
This multifaceted partnership delivers comprehensive Oscar-related programming throughout the entire year. YouTube gains exclusive rights to the main ceremony, red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes exclusive content, Governors Ball access, the Governors Awards ceremony, nomination announcements, the nominees Luncheon, Student Academy Awards, extensive interviews with Academy members and filmmakers, film education programming, podcasts, and supplementary content designed to transform occasional event viewing into sustained year-round engagement with cinematic excellence and Academy initiatives.
Academy leadership expressed enthusiasm about enhanced global reach through this digital partnership. CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor jointly emphasized their organization’s international character, noting that 21% of voting members now reside outside the United States. They characterized digital distribution through a worldwide platform as beneficial for Academy membership and the broader filmmaking community, advancing organizational mission while ensuring unprecedented accessibility for global audiences interested in celebrating cinematic achievement.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan welcomed responsibility for stewarding the Oscars into the digital age. He praised the Academy Awards as an essential cultural institution while committing to inspire new generations of filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts through innovative digital experiences. This vision balances respect for the Oscars’ distinguished heritage with recognition that technological evolution provides opportunities for enhanced engagement, accessibility, and inspiration for current audiences and future creative talent.
The entertainment landscape continues its dramatic shift toward streaming dominance, providing context for this announcement. YouTube maintained its position as America’s most-watched streaming service throughout the current year, achieving record viewership shares while traditional networks struggle competitively. The platform successfully expanded into live sports broadcasting with September’s NFL game attracting over 17 million viewers. The competitive bidding process included Netflix, NBCUniversal, and Disney, which previously paid approximately $100 million annually for rights. Disney’s ABC network will broadcast three final ceremonies through 2028 before the historic transition, including the Academy’s centennial celebration.