Oscars make shocking announcement breaking 76 years of tradition
- - Oscars make shocking announcement breaking 76 years of tradition
Shania RussellDecember 18, 2025 at 12:26 AM
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ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
An Oscar statuette
Cinema's biggest night has found a new home.
The Academy Awards are moving from ABC to YouTube starting in 2029. On Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube announced a multi-year deal giving the latter the exclusive global rights to the Oscars ceremony through 2033.
For the contracted four-year period, the Oscars — including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and the Governors Ball — will be streaming live and for free to viewers around the world and for YouTube TV subscribers in the United States. Architects of the agreement hope the move to YouTube will help make the Oscars more accessible for "the Academy’s growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages."
Film’s biggest night is headed to @YouTube, starting 2029. pic.twitter.com/5ckm1JyBC7
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) December 17, 2025
This big move marks the end of a 50-plus-year partnership between the Academy and ABC, which acquired rights in 1976 retain and will air the Oscars through 2028, ending its run with the historic 100th ceremony. Even more significantly, this sees the Oscars departing traditional TV for the first time since its first broadcast in 1953 on NBC.
Representatives for ABC did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
Conan O'Brien hosted the 2025 Oscars and will return for the 2026 ceremony
In a statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor 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. This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring 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."
Added YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, "The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry. 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."
The 2026 Oscars, to be hosted by Hosted by Conan O'Brien for the second straight year, air Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
