The entertainment industry faces profound transformation as YouTube secures exclusive worldwide broadcasting rights for the Academy Awards through a landmark four-year partnership beginning in 2029. This groundbreaking agreement signals traditional television’s diminishing hold on premium live entertainment events, embracing digital streaming as the future platform for reaching global audiences with enhanced content delivery and unprecedented accessibility.
Beyond main ceremony coverage, this comprehensive partnership encompasses extensive year-round Academy programming. YouTube will provide complete red carpet arrivals, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, Governors Ball access, the Governors Awards ceremony, nomination announcements, the nominees Luncheon, Student Academy Awards, comprehensive interviews with Academy members and filmmakers, film education content, podcasts, and supplementary programming designed to sustain continuous audience engagement with cinematic excellence throughout the entire calendar year.
Academy executives enthusiastically embraced this partnership as alignment with organizational evolution and global mission. CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor emphasized that international accessibility represents a primary motivation, particularly as voting membership grows increasingly diverse with 21% now residing outside the United States. Digital distribution through a worldwide platform better serves their global constituency while advancing the broader filmmaking community’s interests and promoting cinematic appreciation across borders and cultures.
YouTube’s leadership views this arrangement as cultural stewardship opportunity. CEO Neal Mohan committed to honoring the Oscars’ storied legacy while inspiring new generations through innovative digital experiences. He praised the Academy Awards as an essential cultural institution, positioning YouTube as responsible custodian tasked with preserving tradition while leveraging technological capabilities to enhance accessibility, engagement, and inspiration for current audiences and future creative talent.
The competitive bidding process attracted significant interest from major media companies including Netflix, NBCUniversal, and Disney, demonstrating the perceived value of Oscar broadcasting rights. YouTube’s victory reflects its growing dominance in streaming viewership, having achieved record American shares throughout the current year while successfully expanding into live event production with September’s NFL broadcast attracting over 17 million viewers. Industry analysts project YouTube TV will become America’s largest pay-TV service by next year. Disney’s ABC network, which has broadcast the Oscars for over five decades, will host three final ceremonies through 2028 before this historic transition to digital streaming.
