Oscars Dump ABC for YouTube Because Even Award Shows Are Streaming Now

KEY POINTS

•The Academy announced on March 2024 that the Oscars will stream live on YouTube globally starting with the 101st ceremony in 2029.
•YouTube secured exclusive rights to broadcast the ceremony, red carpet pre-show, nominee luncheons, and other Oscars content through 2033.
•This move ends ABC's near 60-year exclusive run, as the Oscars seek a younger, internet-wired audience amid shifting entertainment habits.

In a seismic broadcast shakeup nobody expected since your grandma finally learned TikTok, the Academy announced the Oscars will jump ship from ABC after nearly 60 years and sail the digital seas to YouTube starting with the 101st ceremony in 2029. The deal grants YouTube exclusive global streaming rights through 2033, promising free access to a worldwide audience of 2 billion plus, so anyone with a WiFi signal (or an awkward cousin’s hotspot) can watch live and free. YouTube’s also doubling down with red carpet pre-shows, nominee luncheons, and more behind-the-scenes streamer bait. This bold move comes shortly after YouTube dropped roughly $2 billion annually for NFL’s Sunday Ticket, proving their livestream game is more “Red Carpet Royalty” than “Buffering Blues.” Meanwhile, other award shows like SAG and the Academy of Country Music are also fleeing traditional TV like it owes them money, streaming exclusively on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, respectively. Looks like the only place Oscars will be safe from buffering is your internet provider's “buggy” promise of stability.