The Oscars Are Moving to YouTube

Is MrBeast about to announce Best Picture? The Academy Awards revealed on December 17 that the Oscars ceremony is moving to YouTube. The move won’t happen until the Academy’s current deal with Disney’s ABC finishes up in 2029. By then, all the red-carpet footage, behind-the-scenes content, and Governors Awards video will all be free to watch worldwide, exclusively on YouTube, for the first time.

“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,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor said in a joint statement. “The Academy is an international organization, 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. 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.” 

“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan added. “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 is the first major awards show to move to YouTube, and it is the first time that the content platform has invested in airing a legacy program like the Oscars. Maybe the success of WatchMojo’s movie videos inspired Google to invest in film culture content.