Oscars Moving to YouTube: Academy Warns TV Model Is Failing Viewers

The Oscars are leaving ABC, heading to YouTube in 2029.

In an official announcement on 17 December, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed a multi-year partnership with YouTube, under which the Oscars will be exclusively streamed starting in 2029. The streaming platform has been granted exclusive global rights to the Academy Awards through 2033.

The announcement states, 'The Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, and more, will be available live and for free to over 2 billion viewers around the world on YouTube, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States.'

'YouTube will help make the Oscars accessible to the Academy's growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages,' it further stated.

Fans worldwide get access to other Academy events, including the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominations Announcement, the Oscar Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, and more, via the Oscars YouTube channel as part of the partnership.

The deal concludes the Academy Awards' decades-long partnership with major broadcast network ABC, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Why the Major Shift

According to Forbes, the Academy and Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company (ABC) were unable to finalise an agreement earlier this year following negotiations to renew their contract. The Forbes report further stated that the Oscars' ratings have declined since 2022, and while NBC surfaced as a serious bidder, YouTube came forward as soon as it was announced the most-watched streaming service 6 times in a row in August of this year.

According to Deadline, Oscar's ratings haven't been the same since Titanic, which drew almost 60 million viewers, and have slowly been rising since 2021, with the pandemic showing viewership at around 18 million.

The pivotal change will give way to an expansion that offers the 'largest worldwide audience possible' access to the Oscars. Streaming services have recently surpassed TV broadcast, the LA Times reported early this year, a likely factor for the Academy's central decision to shift platforms.

'This collaboration will leverage YouTube's vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honouring our legacy,' Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement.

'We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.'

Meanwhile, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan addresses the decision as bringing 'this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world,' and hopes to 'inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy.'

WBTV also reported that among the big four in award shows - the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and Tonys- the Oscars is the first to abandon broadcast television.

The Oscars' Future

Moving to the streaming platform underscores how media consumption evolves with technology, and how the entertainment industry is not exempt. Whether the Academy successfully improves its ratings after targeting a broader audience on YouTube remains to be seen.

In its move towards the streaming platform, the Academy is clearly gearing up for a future with more diverse audiences, with YouTube accounting for over 13% of the media content in August, according to The Hollywood Reporter.