The Oscars will leave its longtime home at ABC and air exclusively on YouTube beginning in 2029.
As part of a new multi-year deal, the Academy Awards will be available to stream for free worldwide on YouTube and on YouTube TV in the US through 2033. In addition to the awards ceremony itself, YouTube will stream red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, the Oscar nominations announcements, the Governors Ball, the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Scientific and Technical Awards, interviews with Academy members and filmmakers, and other related content.
This deal marks the end of the Oscars’ five-decade run on ABC, where it has aired since 1976. The Academy Awards have become a landmark television event since that time, watched by tens of millions of viewers around the world.
The ceremony’s highest ratings came in 1998, when over 57 million people watched James Cameron’s Titanic win Best Picture and 10 other awards. Ratings have slipped since then, with the 2025 Oscars watched by 19.69 million viewers.
2025 also marked the first time that the ceremony was live-streamed, with ABC and Hulu sharing the broadcast. Now, live-streaming is the future awaiting Hollywood’s biggest night.
