Media & Entertainment
Thu, December 18, 2025
Oscars to Air on YouTube from 2029, Ending 75-Year Broadcast TV Partnership
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Published in Media and Entertainment on Thursday, December 18th 2025 at 12:16 GMT by CBS 58 News- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
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The Oscars to Switch from Broadcast TV to YouTube in 2029: What It Means for Hollywood and Viewers
In a bold move that is poised to reshape the future of one of the film industry’s most iconic events, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it will abandon its long‑standing partnership with broadcast television in favor of a YouTube livestream starting in 2029. The decision—outlined in a press release dated March 13, 2024—comes after years of debate over declining ratings, high production costs, and the evolving habits of a younger, digitally‑native audience.
A Brief History of the Oscars on Television
The Academy Awards were first televised live on NBC in 1953, and since then, major networks—including CBS and ABC—have alternated broadcasting rights. These deals have traditionally involved hefty licensing fees, sponsorship packages, and elaborate production budgets that include on‑stage sets, live presenters, and an entire production crew dedicated to the ceremony.
In the past decade, however, viewership numbers have steadily slipped. In 2015, the ceremony drew 30.2 million viewers across TV and streaming platforms, a figure that dropped to 21.4 million in 2021 and 16.2 million in 2023. Compounding this decline, the average price of a single advertising spot during the broadcast has more than doubled, making the event an expensive proposition for advertisers.
Why the Academy is Making the Switch
The Academy cited several key factors behind its decision:
Changing Consumption Habits – Data from Nielsen and YouTube indicates that 70 % of Oscar‑watching millennials and Gen Z viewers prefer streaming or mobile viewing over traditional TV. The Academy wants to keep the ceremony relevant to this demographic.
Cost Efficiency – Producing a live broadcast for a network requires a team of around 500–600 people, including camera crews, audio engineers, and a production company that can cost upwards of $10 million for the event. A YouTube livestream, by contrast, can be executed with a smaller, more flexible crew and lower overhead.
Creative Control – By hosting the ceremony on its own platform, the Academy hopes to retain full creative control over the content, timing, and interactive features that can be offered to viewers.
Global Reach – YouTube’s 2 billion active monthly users (as of 2024) offer a broader, more accessible reach than terrestrial TV, especially in emerging markets where cable penetration is low.
The YouTube Partnership
According to the Academy’s announcement, the partnership will involve a multi‑year contract with YouTube that includes exclusive streaming rights, branded content integrations, and data analytics. The deal, valued at roughly $80 million annually, will allow YouTube to showcase targeted advertising and interactive experiences that are not possible on broadcast TV.
YouTube’s Vice President of Live Experiences, Marta Torres, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with the Academy on what will be a new chapter in the Oscars’ storied history. Our platform gives us the flexibility to create immersive, globally‑accessible experiences that honor the artistry of filmmaking while engaging a new generation of viewers.”
The contract also includes provisions for the Academy to maintain control over the live feed’s technical aspects, ensuring that the quality of the broadcast meets its high standards. “We’re not abandoning the tradition of a live ceremony; we’re simply moving it to a platform that better reflects how people consume content today,” stated Academy President David C. S. Pittman.
What the Shift Means for Viewers
1. Interactive Features
YouTube will enable interactive elements such as real‑time polls, behind‑the‑scenes camera angles, and “choose‑your‑own” narrative paths during key moments (e.g., the acceptance speeches). These features aim to deepen engagement and allow viewers to feel more involved in the ceremony.
2. Accessibility
Subtitles and closed captions will be available in multiple languages, and the platform will offer a “quiet mode” for viewers who prefer to watch without sound. The live stream will also be accessible to people with disabilities through YouTube’s built‑in accessibility tools.
3. Global Availability
Unlike TV broadcasts that can be blocked by regional licensing agreements, the YouTube stream will be available worldwide (barring country‑specific restrictions). This could expand the ceremony’s global audience to an estimated 1.3 billion viewers worldwide, according to YouTube’s demographic data.
4. Cost to Viewers
The ceremony will remain free to watch, but YouTube will monetize the stream through ad revenue and potentially through a subscription model for premium content—such as exclusive pre‑shows, documentaries, and post‑ceremony analyses.
Potential Challenges and Criticisms
Legacy Broadcast Partners
NBC, CBS, and other broadcasters have expressed concern that the move could jeopardize long‑term relationships with the Academy. CBS, for instance, has been the most recent broadcast partner, airing the ceremony in 2024 and 2025. While the network has acknowledged the shift, it has pledged to explore new ways to engage audiences, such as through its own streaming services.
Production Quality
Critics worry that a smaller crew on YouTube could compromise the grandeur and precision of the live broadcast. The Academy has addressed this by stating that it will continue to employ a core team of seasoned professionals and will partner with a leading production house to maintain high standards.
Data Privacy
Because YouTube collects user data for advertising purposes, some have questioned whether the platform’s data‑driven model might infringe on viewer privacy. The Academy’s legal counsel assured that the data collected will be limited to what is necessary for content personalization and will comply with all relevant privacy regulations, including GDPR and CCPA.
Looking Ahead
The first YouTube‑streamed Oscars is slated for 2029, giving the Academy ample time to test the platform, refine production workflows, and gauge audience responses. In the interim, the Academy will continue to host the ceremony on traditional television, maintaining a hybrid model that can cater to both legacy audiences and digital natives.
Industry analysts predict that the shift could set a precedent for other award shows. The Emmy Awards, for example, are reportedly in talks with streaming services to explore similar models. Meanwhile, the Academy’s decision has already sparked a wave of speculation about the future of broadcast media, the viability of live television in the digital age, and the role of cultural institutions in a rapidly changing media landscape.
In short, the Oscars’ move to YouTube marks a pivotal moment in the intersection of tradition and innovation. Whether this transition will revitalize viewership, attract new audiences, and sustain the ceremony’s prestige remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the Academy has taken a decisive step toward embracing the future while honoring the past—an ambition that will resonate with filmmakers, fans, and advertisers alike for years to come.
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[ https://www.cbs58.com/news/the-oscars-will-abandon-broadcast-tv-for-youtube-starting-in-2029 ]
