Starting in 2029, the Academy Awards will air on YouTube instead of broadcast TV.
Disney’s ABC has been the home of the Oscars for decades, and will air the star-studded awards show until 2028 – the 100th Oscars. Alphabet’s YouTube will license the show the following year until 2033, according to a blog post from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Academy signed an exclusive, multi-year deal with YouTube for global rights to the show. YouTube is now the top video platform for U.S. viewers, who spent 12.9% of their TV-watching time on it in November, according to Nielsen.
“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,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor, in a joint statement.
The agreement includes rights to red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball and other festivities that viewers can watch on the Oscars YouTube channel. Airing on YouTube enables capabilities such as closed-captioning and language translation.
Google, whose parent Alphabet owns YouTube, will provide digital access to select Academy Museum exhibitions and programs through its Arts and Culture initiative. Google will help digitize the Academy’s collection of more than 52 million film-related items.