YouTube has secured one of entertainment’s most coveted assets: exclusive global rights to stream the Academy Awards for four years starting in 2029. This transformative agreement represents the Academy’s strategic response to evolving media consumption patterns and positions the digital platform as the new home for cinema’s most celebrated annual event.
The deal’s comprehensive nature sets it apart from typical broadcasting agreements. YouTube will deliver not only the main ceremony but also red carpet coverage, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, the Governors Awards, nomination announcements, the nominees Luncheon, student Academy awards, ongoing educational programming, podcasts, and extensive filmmaker interviews—creating an immersive Academy experience available year-round.
Leadership at the Academy framed this partnership as essential for serving their increasingly international organization. With 21% of voting members now based outside the United States, the decision to partner with a globally accessible streaming platform ensures all members and international film communities receive equal access to Academy content and celebrations.
YouTube’s qualifications include its dominant position in streaming viewership and proven ability to broadcast major live events. The platform recently streamed an NFL game to over 17 million viewers, demonstrating technical infrastructure capable of supporting the global audience and real-time demands of an event as significant as the Oscars.
Multiple major entertainment companies competed for these rights, with Netflix and NBCUniversal reportedly among the bidders. Disney’s ABC, which has broadcast the ceremony for over fifty years and paid approximately $100 million annually, will host three more ceremonies including the centennial celebration in 2028 before YouTube assumes control.