YouTube will stream the Oscars — exclusively — beginning in 2029
Summarize this article with:
YouTube has won exclusive rights to stream the Oscars starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday. The Google-owned platform outbid other contenders, including the Oscars’ longtime home ABC, ending the network’s streak of hosting the awards show since 1976 (with the exception of a brief period in the early 1970s). YouTube’s first show will be the 101st Oscars in 2029, and its deal will run through 2033. ABC will continue to broadcast the ceremony until 2028. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The news, which marks a landmark shift for one of television’s marquee events, highlights YouTube’s growing dominance in the television space and a major shift as streaming takes on more live events. The ceremony will be available live and for free to more than 2 billion viewers globally on YouTube, as well as to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States. The move comes as Oscar ratings have steadily fallen from a peak of 55 million viewers in 1998 to closer to 20 million in recent years, prompting the Academy to explore new ways to reach audiences. “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.” As part of the deal, YouTube will not only broadcast the ceremony, but also red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, the Oscar nominations announcement, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, Governors Ball access, film education programs, podcasts, and more. “The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in a statement. “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.” Techcrunch event Join the Disrupt 2026 Waitlist Add yourself to the Disrupt 2026 waitlist to be first in line when Early Bird tickets drop. Past Disrupts have brought Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, and Vinod Khosla to the stages — part of 250+ industry leaders driving 200+ sessions built to fuel your growth and sharpen your edge. Plus, meet the hundreds of startups innovating across every sector. Join the Disrupt 2026 Waitlist Add yourself to the Disrupt 2026 waitlist to be first in line when Early Bird tickets drop. Past Disrupts have brought Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, and Vinod Khosla to the stages — part of 250+ industry leaders driving 200+ sessions built to fuel your growth and sharpen your edge. Plus, meet the hundreds of startups innovating across every sector. San Francisco | October 13-15, 2026 WAITLIST NOW Although this isn’t the first time a streamer has acquired the rights to an awards show — Netflix has secured rights to the SAG Awards — it’s the first time one of the big four awards shows (Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys) will leave broadcast TV entirely in favor of streaming. Topics Apps, Media & Entertainment, oscars, YouTube Aisha Malik Consumer News Reporter Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University. You can contact or verify outreach from Aisha by emailing aisha@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at aisha_malik.01 on Signal.
View Bio Dates TBD Locations TBA Plan ahead for the 2026 StrictlyVC events. Hear straight-from-the-source candid insights in on-stage fireside sessions and meet the builders and backers shaping the industry. Join the waitlist to get first access to the lowest-priced tickets and important updates.
Waitlist Now Most Popular Google tests an email-based productivity assistant Ivan Mehta DoorDash driver faces felony charges after allegedly spraying customers’ food Anthony Ha With iOS 26.2, Apple lets you roll back Liquid Glass again — this time on the Lock Screen Sarah Perez Google launched its deepest AI research agent yet — on the same day OpenAI dropped GPT-5.2 Julie Bort Disney hits Google with cease-and-desist claiming ‘massive’ copyright infringement Aisha Malik OpenAI fires back at Google with GPT-5.2 after ‘code red’ memo Rebecca Bellan Google debuts ‘Disco,’ a Gemini-powered tool for making web apps from browser tabs Sarah Perez