Hollywood award shows have long had contracts with network television to carry the annual gala events; but in recent years there has been quite a shift in those contracts.
In 2028, the annual Academy Awards will celebrate its 100th anniversary and it will be the final broadcast on the ABC network.
Beginning in 2029, the annual awards better known as the Oscars will move to the streaming service YouTube.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the deal with YouTube includes global rights through 2033.
The deal includes “all things Oscar” – the red carpet, Governors Awards, Oscar nominations, and the gala awards ceremony.
AMPAS chief executive Bill Kramer and president Lynette Howell Taylor spoke on the new deal saying, “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.”
The deal includes free worldwide streaming of the annual Academy Awards on YouTube. Subscribers will be able to access audio tracks in numerous languages and closed captioning.
Chief executive of YouTube Neal Mohan said, “the Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry. Partnering with the academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”
NBC aired the first Academy Awards show in 1953 with ABC taking the reigns in 1961 and airing the annual event for the next decade. From 1971 to ’75 NBC aired the show. ABC took over airing the awards in 1976 and has aired the gala event since.
ABC spoke on the awards via a statement saying, “ABC has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century. We look forward to the next three telecasts, including the show’s centennial celebration in 2028, and wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued success.”
Unlike Netflix or NBC Universal/Peacock; YouTube has a massive audience and less of an established production infrastructure.
According to Nielsen, YouTube is the largest streaming platform.