Oscars telecast to move to YouTube in 2029 amid declining ratings

The annual Academy Awards telecast will move from the ABC ( DIS.N ) broadcast network to YouTube from 2029 and will be broadcast live worldwide for free, the parties said on Wednesday.

Walt Disney-owned ABC has broadcast the Oscars, the industry’s highest honor, for decades.

The show’s ratings, along with all Hollywood awards shows, have declined as audiences have moved to broadcast sites.

The 2025 Oscars in March brought in 19.7 million American viewers, a five-year high but well below the show’s peak of 57 million in 1998.

YouTube will offer closed captioning and audio tracks in multiple languages ​​to make the show accessible to a global audience, according to a statement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube.

The deal will begin at the 2029 Oscars and run through 2033.