The Oscars Are Moving to YouTube in 2029 and Hollywoods Biggest Night Just Got Weird

Hollywoods most prestigious night is going to the platform where people watch cat videos and conspiracy theories. The Academy just announced the Oscars are moving to YouTube starting in 2029.

I genuinely did not have this on my bingo card.

The deal runs from 2029 through 2033. Starting with the 101st Academy Awards the entire ceremony – red carpet, show, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball, all of it – will stream live and free globally on YouTube. ABC’s current rights run through 2028.

This is… a choice.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor released a statement talking about “expanding access” and reaching “the largest worldwide audience possible.” Which is technically true. YouTube has massive global reach. Way more than ABC.

But theres something deeply strange about watching the Oscars next to recommended videos of “10 Things You Didnt Know About [Insert Movie]” and whatever algorithmic rabbit hole YouTube decides to send you down afterward.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan called the Oscars “one of our essential cultural institutions.” Hes not wrong. But essential cultural institutions typically air on broadcast television. Not platforms primarily known for influencer content and endless scrolls.

The Academys statement emphasized this will “inspire new generations of filmmakers.” Maybe. Or maybe it signals that film itself is becoming just another form of content competing for attention alongside everything else on the internet.

Look the Oscars have been struggling with ratings for years. The broadcast audience has cratered from its peak. Younger viewers especially dont tune in the way previous generations did. Moving to YouTube is an acknowledgment that the traditional TV model isnt working anymore.

Its also a bet that streaming can do what broadcast couldnt. Free global access means more potential viewers. YouTube TV subscribers in the US get it too. No cable package required.

This probably makes sense financially. YouTube presumably paid a lot for these rights. And they get to associate their brand with Hollywood prestige. Films are doing well right now after some rough pandemic years. Aligning with that success has value.

But prestige cuts both ways. The Oscars have always been special partly because of the gatekeeping. You had to have a TV. You had to tune in at a specific time. It was an event. Now its… a livestream. One of millions happening at any given moment.

Variety reports the deal is “multi-year” and includes year-round Academy programming beyond just the ceremony. So YouTube becomes the Academys default home for everything.

Im trying to imagine the viewing experience. Will there be a live chat? Can you imagine watching Best Picture announced while thousands of people spam emojis in the sidebar? Will the algorithm suggest clips from previous Oscar controversies? Will there be ads?

Actually that last one is a real question. YouTube runs ads on everything. Premium subscribers dont see them. But everyone else? Is the Best Picture winner going to be announced after a Grammarly ad?

The Academy says its about innovation and reaching new audiences. Maybe theyre right. Maybe this is the future and Im just old for finding it weird.

But theres something that feels like an ending here. The Oscars on YouTube. The last truly appointment television event becoming just another stream. The red carpet next to a thumbnail of some vloggers hot take.

Film will survive this. Good movies will still get made. People will still care about awards. The actual ceremony will probably be fine.

It just wont feel the same. And maybe thats the point. Maybe nothing is supposed to feel the same anymore. Maybe we all just accept that everything is content now and move on.

Anyway. The 101st Oscars. 2029. On YouTube. What a world.