YouTube secures exclusive worldwide Academy Awards rights through a comprehensive four-year partnership beginning in 2029, marking entertainment broadcasting’s most significant transformation in decades. This landmark agreement relocates Hollywood’s premier ceremony from traditional network television to digital streaming platforms, promising unprecedented global accessibility, enhanced content delivery throughout the awards season, and extensive year-round programming designed to revolutionize how audiences engage with filmmaking excellence and Academy initiatives.
Beyond standard ceremony coverage, the extensive partnership encompasses comprehensive Academy-related content and programming throughout the calendar year. 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 recognition, in-depth Academy member interviews, filmmaker conversations, film education programming, podcasts, and supplementary content designed to transform the Oscar experience from an isolated annual event into sustained year-round engagement.
The Academy’s leadership enthusiastically embraced this partnership as strategic alignment with their organization’s international evolution and global outreach mission. Bill Kramer and Lynette Howell Taylor emphasized that with 21% of voting members now residing outside the United States, worldwide digital distribution addresses their global constituency more effectively than traditional American network broadcasting. They characterized this arrangement as beneficial for Academy members and the broader filmmaking community, advancing organizational goals while ensuring unprecedented worldwide accessibility.
Neal Mohan, serving as YouTube CEO, welcomed the opportunity to steward one of entertainment’s most distinguished institutions with balanced commitment to preservation and innovation. He committed to honoring the Oscars’ storied legacy while inspiring future creative generations through innovative digital experiences and enhanced global accessibility. This vision positions YouTube not merely as broadcaster but as cultural custodian responsible for maintaining and enhancing the ceremony’s significance while leveraging technological capabilities to improve engagement for current audiences and emerging filmmakers worldwide.
The entertainment landscape continues its seismic shift toward streaming dominance, providing crucial context for this announcement. YouTube maintained its position as America’s most-watched streaming platform throughout the current year, achieving record viewership shares while traditional networks struggle to maintain competitive relevance. The platform successfully expanded into live sports broadcasting with September’s NFL game attracting over 17 million viewers, demonstrating sophisticated production capabilities. Multiple media giants including Netflix, NBCUniversal, and Disney competed for these rights, with Disney previously paying approximately $100 million annually. Disney’s ABC network will broadcast three final ceremonies through 2028 before the historic transition.