In 1976, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reached an agreement that gave the ABC Television Network rights to the Oscars, Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. Since then, The Walt Disney Company has looked to the film industry’s honor pageant as a major ABC advertiser and viewer draw, noting its relationship at Upfront events each May.
Starting in 2029, ABC will no longer have the Oscars telecast — nor will any other over-the-air television network.
On a day when broadcast media’s regulatory future was front and center on Capitol Hill during a Senate Commerce Committee FCC oversight hearing, one of the “GAFAN” giants that is free from government regulatory policy and has attracted millions of viewers grabbed the Oscar rights. That would be YouTube, the Alphabet entity that recently snagged NFL Sunday Ticket rights from DirecTV, making its YouTube TV a major player in the television rights and channel distribution game.
In a statement distributed Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it and YouTube signed a multi-year deal that gives the internet-based video platform the exclusive global rights to the Oscars, beginning in 2029 with the 101st Oscars ceremony. The deal concludes in 2033.
As the Academy sees it, the agreement will give The Oscars — including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and Governors Ball access — live and free access on a global level.
“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 Academy adds.
The partnership also will include worldwide access for film fans to other Academy events and programs exclusively on the Oscars YouTube channel. This will include the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominations Announcement, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, film education programs, and podcasts.
“In addition, through this holistic partnership, the Google Arts & Culture initiative will help provide digital access to select Academy Museum exhibitions and programs and help to digitize components of the Academy Collection—the largest film-related collection in the world, with more than 52 million items,” the Alphabet-owned entity shared.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor issued a joint statement, noting, “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. This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy. We will be able to celebrate cinema, inspire new generations of filmmakers and provide access to our film history on an unprecedented global scale.”
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan added, “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.”
