Oscars to stream exclusively on YouTube starting 2029, ending decades-long TV tradition

The Academy Awards, Hollywood's biggest night, will be streaming exclusively on YouTube starting 2029. It will mark an end to its decades-long tradition of broadcasting on television.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has signed a five-year deal with YouTube, which will give the video platform an exclusive right to stream the Oscars beginning with the 101st ceremony in 2029 and running through 2033.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor, in a statement, said, "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."

They further said, "The Academy is an international organisation, 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."

What the deal brings

Under the multi-year agreement, viewers will also get to watch live red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and Governors Ball access. It will stream live and free for YouTube viewers globally and to YouTube TV subscribers in the US. In addition to this, YouTube will also include additional features such as closed captioning and audio tracks in multiple languages.

Film aficionados will also get free access to many other Academy events on the official Oscars YouTube channel, such as the Governors Awards, the Oscars nominations announcement, the Nominees Luncheon, Student Academy Awards, and the Scientific and Technical Awards.

Viewers will also be able to watch interviews with Academy members and filmmakers, along with film education content, podcasts, and more, all in one place.

On top of this, the partnership also involves Google Arts & Culture, which will help bring parts of the Academy Museum online. This means people can digitally explore selected museum exhibitions and programmes from anywhere in the world. Google will also help digitise parts of the Academy Collection, which is the largest film-related archive globally, with over 52 million items.

Viewers will also be able to watch interviews with Academy members and filmmakers, along with film education content, podcasts, and more — all in one place.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said, “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."

Where to you watch Oscars 2026

ABC has been the Oscars' US broadcast home since 1976, and will continue to air the ceremony through its 100th anniversary in 2028. The 98th Academy Awards will stream live on ABC on March 15.

In India, viewers can watch the Oscars ceremony on Star Movies, Star Movies Select, and JioHotstar.

Oscars 2026 shortlist films

A number of films have been shortlisted across awards like Casting, Cinematography, Makeup & Hairstyling, Music, Sound and Visual Effects. This year, films have been shortlisted in 12 categories, including both creative and technical awards.

India's Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category.