By David Matthews | [email protected] | New York Daily News
The Academy Awards ceremony will exclusively move to YouTube later this decade after its longtime deal with ABC comes to an end.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday that the Oscars would be streaming-only beginning in 2029 and running through at least 2033. The awards show, the most-watched in the world, has aired on ABC since 1976.
ABC’s last broadcast of the ceremony will be the 100th edition of the awards. The show was made available to stream live on Hulu for the first time last year.
Come 2029, the show will then be free to stream on YouTube worldwide and available to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States.
The partnership will also grant viewers access to red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, the Governors Awards at which honorary Oscars are presented, the Scientific and Technical Awards, filmmaker interviews, educational programs, podcasts and more.
The Academy will also work with Google — YouTube’s parent company — to provide digital access to select Academy Museum exhibitions and to help digitize millions of items in the Academy Collection.
Oscars ratings have steadily declined since peaking in 1998, the year 55 million viewers tuned in to watch “Titanic” take home 11 statues. Last year’s show, at which “Anora” was the big winner, brought in roughly 20 million.
The new partnership with YouTube hopes to change that by offering a “true hub for film fans” that’s accessible around the world, the Academy said in its announcement.
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in a statement. “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 show’s soon-to-be-former broadcast partner released a statement, too.
“ABC has been the proud home to the Oscars for more than half a century,” the network said. “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.”
