Academy signs exclusive global Oscars streaming deal with YouTube

Los Angeles, California — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has signed a multi-year agreement with YouTube granting the platform exclusive global rights to the Oscars from 2029, beginning with the 101st ceremony and running through 2033.

Under the deal, the Oscars will be streamed live and free on YouTube worldwide, with US viewers also able to watch via YouTube TV. 

Coverage will include the red carpet, behind-the-scenes content, and the Governors Ball, alongside accessibility features such as closed captioning and audio tracks in multiple languages.

YouTube will also become the exclusive global platform for other Academy events and programmes, including the Governors Awards, nominations announcement, nominees luncheon, Student Academy Awards, Scientific and Technical Awards, filmmaker interviews, education initiatives and podcasts, all available through the Oscars YouTube channel.

As part of the partnership, Google Arts & Culture will work with the Academy to provide digital access to selected Academy Museum exhibitions and to help digitise elements of the Academy Collection, the world’s largest film-related archive with more than 52 million items.

“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. 

“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,” they added. 

“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honouring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. 

The Academy said its domestic broadcast agreement with Disney’s ABC will remain in place through the 100th Oscars in 2028, alongside its international partnership with Disney’s Buena Vista International.

Mohan elaborated, “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.”

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