YouTube Rolls Out The Red Carpet As Oscars Leave Broadcast TV For Streaming From 2029

While other major award shows like the Emmy Awards and the Grammy Awards also have inked streaming partnerships, this is the first major deal to drop broadcast television in totality.

• YouTube and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not divulge the financial terms of the deal.  
• The Academy clarified that Disney ABC will continue to broadcast the awards ceremony through 2028.
• ABC has been the broadcast home for Oscars for a majority portion of its history.

Alphabet Inc’s YouTube on Wednesday announced that the Oscars will be broadcast exclusively on the platform starting in 2029, as The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pivots away from broadcast TV.

Oscars will broadcast live exclusively on YouTube for free to over 2 billion viewers globally and on YouTube TV in the U.S., and feature red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and Governors Ball access, the company said.  

While other major award shows like the Emmy awards and the Grammy awards also have inked streaming partnerships, this is the first major deal to drop broadcast television in totality.

YouTube Rolls Out The Red Carpet

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed that the multi-year deal will give YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars running through 2033. “YouTube will help make the Oscars accessible to the Academy’s growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages,” the Oscar organisers said. The Academy also highlighted that YouTube’s wide user base will allow access to the “largest worldwide audience possible.”

The two parties did not divulge the financial terms of the partnership. However, The New York Times reported that ABC has been paying about $100 million a year for the show.

The Academy also clarified that Disney ABC will continue to broadcast the awards ceremony through 2028, until the 100th Oscars. ABC has been the broadcast home for Oscars for a majority portion of its history and has been aired on ABC continuously from 1976.  

Disney shares traded 1% lower at the time of writing.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around GOOG trended within the ‘bearish’ territory while sentiment around DIS remained at ‘neutral’ levels.

While GOOG shares have risen 56% this year, DIS shares have traded flat. 

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