After a year of turmoil and change in Hollywood, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences effectively said “hold my beer” this morning. In a massive surprise, the Academy Awards will have a new home in 2029. The Oscars ceremony will now be streamed on YouTube instead of a traditional broadcast partner.
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The new YouTube deal is currently set for five years and, barring an extension, would end in 2033.
The Academy Awards have been broadcast on ABC since 1976. Reportedly, ABC and Netflix were in negotiations with The Academy about broadcast and streaming rights after the Disney network’s current deal ends in 2028. ABC will continue to broadcast the Oscars up to and including the 100th Ceremony in 2028. Disney will also continue to handle international distribution through Buena Vista International.
An ABC spokesperson said, “ABC has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century. We look forward to the next three telecasts, including the show’s centennial celebration in 2028, and wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued success.”
It should be noted that by making this deal, the Academy is not only saying goodbye, for the moment, to a major broadcast network such as ABC, but to major broadcast networks in over 200 territories that promoted the Oscars around the globe. That is a significant change for international cinema.
According to The Academy, by making this deal with YouTube, The Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, and more, will be available live and for free to over 2 billion viewers around the world on YouTube, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States. YouTube says it will make the Oscars accessible to the Academy’s growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages (something ABC and its international partners already do).
The partnership will also provide worldwide access for film fans to other Academy events and programs exclusively on the Oscars YouTube channel. This will include the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominations Announcement, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, film education programs, podcasts, and more. If this means the Oscar nominations announcement no longer needs to be at 8:30 AM ET/5:30 AM PT to appease “Good Morning America,” this might not be a good thing.
The announcement also revealed the Google Arts & Culture initiative will help provide digital access to “select” Academy Museum exhibitions and programs and help to digitize components of the Academy Collection—the largest film-related collection in the world, with more than 52 million items. It will be a true hub for film fans and will be accessible from around the world. This essentially means the Academy Museum is guaranteed free promotion on YouTube in the years ahead.
In a statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor noted, “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. 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.”
Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube, remarked, “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.”
This announcement demonstrates that the money YouTube was willing to pay The Academy was substantially higher than ABC or Netflix. Moreover, it may signal that YouTube, which dropped out of original content outside of live events such as Coachella, may be repositioning itself in that space. A move that would allow it compete with Netflix, which is in the middle of an acquisition of Warner Bros and HBO, and recently made a deal to exclusively stream video episodes of popular iHeart podcasts. On the other side of the equation, Disney and ABC snagged the rights to televise and stream the Grammy Awards from CBS beginning in 2027.
The biggest question now is, can The Academy and YouTube teach older viewers how to watch the telecast with the YT app on their television? They have three years to teach them.
The 98th Academy Awards will be aired on ABC and Hulu on March 15.
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