In a move that will no doubt change the broader pop culture landscape in ways we can only guess right now, Variety reports that the Academy Awards will move away from their home on ABC, where it has aired for decades, and become exclusive to YouTube starting in 2029. That year will be the 101st Oscar ceremony. The rights to the Academy Awards will remain on YouTube until at least 2033. This new deal includes all red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and the star-studded Governors’ Ball. In just a few years, it will all be available live and for free to viewers around the world.
In a statement, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said the following:
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.
The Oscars have aired on broadcast television ever since 1976. In its heyday, it brought in ratings comparable to a Super Bowl and was a massive cultural event. But in the 21st century, the viewership has gone down precipitously year after year. Part of that is because broadcast television doesn’t take up as much space in our lives anymore. But also, the importance of movies in the broader sense to the culture has dwindled as well. That is a hard pill to swallow for those of us who love the movies and the moviegoing experience.
For the last several years, the Academy has shied away from massive, popular hits. That has made it almost a niche awards ceremony. The Academy changed the Best Picture category to ten films after the massively popular The Dark Knight failed to get a nomination in 2009. They only just added a stunts category. So, it makes some sense that the Oscars would move to a more niche platform. Simply because films are now a niche form of entertainment in the era of TikTok reels and Netflix. Whatever happens, the Oscars moving to YouTube definitely signals the end of a very long era in American culture.