Oscars telecast to move to YouTube in 2029 amid declining ratings

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

Walt Disney-owned ABC has been broadcasting the Oscars, the film industry's highest honors, for decades. 

Ratings for the show, along with all Hollywood awards shows, have declined as audiences moved to streaming platforms.

The 2025 Oscars in March brought in 19.7 million U.S. viewers, a five-year high but far below the show's biggest audience of 57 million in 1998.

YouTube will provide 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 agreement will start with the 2029 Oscars ceremony and run through 2033.