Digital streaming achieves another landmark milestone as YouTube secures exclusive worldwide rights to the Academy Awards through a comprehensive four-year partnership beginning in 2029, fundamentally reshaping entertainment broadcasting landscape. This groundbreaking agreement relocates Hollywood’s most prestigious ceremony from traditional network television to digital platforms with unprecedented global accessibility, enhanced interactive content delivery capabilities, and extensive year-round programming designed to revolutionize how billions of audiences worldwide engage with filmmaking excellence and Academy initiatives.
The multifaceted partnership delivers comprehensive programming far exceeding standard ceremony coverage, encompassing extensive Academy-related content throughout the calendar year and awards season. 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 maintain sustained meaningful audience engagement with cinematic excellence and creative achievement.
The Academy’s leadership enthusiastically embraced this partnership as strategic alignment with their organization’s international evolution, global outreach mission, and commitment to worldwide accessibility. 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 diverse constituency more effectively than traditional American network broadcasting methods. They characterized this arrangement as mutually beneficial for Academy members and the broader international filmmaking community, advancing organizational goals while ensuring unprecedented accessibility for audiences worldwide.
Neal Mohan, serving as YouTube CEO, expressed genuine enthusiasm about stewarding one of entertainment’s most distinguished cultural institutions with balanced commitment to preservation and meaningful innovation. He committed to honoring the Oscars’ storied legacy and celebrated heritage while inspiring future creative generations through innovative digital experiences and enhanced global accessibility. This vision positions YouTube not merely as broadcaster but as responsible cultural custodian tasked with maintaining and enhancing the ceremony’s enduring significance while leveraging technological capabilities to improve engagement for current audiences and emerging filmmakers worldwide.
The entertainment landscape continues its dramatic seismic shift toward streaming dominance, providing crucial important context for this historic announcement. YouTube maintained its dominant position as America’s most-watched streaming platform throughout the current year, achieving unprecedented record viewership shares while traditional networks struggle to maintain competitive relevance in rapidly evolving markets. The platform successfully expanded into live sports broadcasting with September’s highly successful NFL game attracting over 17 million viewers, demonstrating sophisticated production capabilities for major high-profile events. Multiple media giants including Netflix, NBCUniversal, and Disney competed fiercely for these highly valuable broadcasting rights, with Disney previously paying approximately $100 million annually. Disney’s ABC network will broadcast three final ceremonies through 2028 before the historic transition.
