Will we see the 2029 Oscars on YouTube?
That’s a possibility, as the streaming giants could position themselves as the home for streaming and rebroadcasting the Academy Awards after ABC’s contract with the Academy expires in 2028. According to a Bloomberg newsletterGoogle’s YouTube is now in the news as a possible Oscar contender, joining Netflix and NBCUniversal as a possible new home for the awards.
Like Netflix, YouTube is increasingly interested in hosting major live events like NFL Sunday Ticket, which will move there in 2023. Of course, it’s also possible that Disney-owned ABC could renew its contract. The channel has broadcast the Oscars since 1976.
But reports from earlier this year to propose that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been exploring other options, both to find a new home for the Academy Awards and as a negotiating strategy.
Although still a major live event, viewership for the awards show has declined over the past decade until the 2025 ceremony. had the largest audience in the last five years. The Academy Awards aired on Hulu and ABC this year.
Can this really happen?
In the entertainment industry, the Oscars are still an extremely important awards ceremony, regardless of where they are broadcast.
“The Oscar broadcast is still the biggest achievement for creative professionals. A career changes instantly after someone wins an Oscar or even receives a nomination,” said Lee Romaire, a special effects veteran who worked on Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming film Frankenstein and is the founder of Romaire Studios.
“The series remains relevant as it serves as a global platform for cinematic art, despite declining audiences and falling ticket prices,” says Romaire. “If the Oscars want to stay relevant, it makes sense to reach audiences where they are.”
Additionally, according to Romaire, it would “reinforce the fact that the future of entertainment distribution is no longer tied to movie theaters or traditional television.”
The academy could also look at ways to split a streaming deal between multiple players, rather than relying on a single entity like Netflix or YouTube.
“I suspect the academy will find a way, similar to what professional sports leagues like the NFL do, to divide the rights by platform, so that all the streaming elements can remain alongside the broadcast,” said Seth Schachner, CEO of Strat Americaa communications consultancy.
“I would also bet that advertising plays a big role in every decision here, because there is a large, if antiquated, advertising ecosystem where big awards like the Oscars survive,” Schachner said.