Academy boss gets candid on taking Oscars to YouTube as gamble

Since 1976, the Academy has been a mainstay of ABC, a traditional TV network, in the U.S.

But now the ceremony is set to shift home to YouTube in 2029.

Was it a gamble? 'An emphatic no,' says Bill Kramer, the CEO of the Academy.

“It almost feels risky not to do it,” he said at the Zurich Film Festival Summit event.

His reasoning is simple: through YouTube, the Academy can reach a wider audience.

“As we become more global as an organization, the best way for us to reach a global audience of film lovers, film fans, [and] young artists is YouTube," he said.

"YouTube allows the Academy to directly engage with their audience and film fans in a way that we just can’t do right now,” he said.

“It gives the Academy more control in engaging with fandom and film lovers and film fans and viewers of the Oscars," the exec continued.

"Right now more people outside of the U.S. watch the Oscars than in the U.S., and this allows us to capture that audience a lot more."

With YouTube and Hollywood rapidly fusing, for example, Backrooms, a horror series on the social media platform, became a theatrical hit this year.

In light of this development, Kramer said, "I think the timing this year — Obsession, Backrooms."

“[It’s] moving in the other direction from YouTube to theatrical for us; we’re an organisation that celebrates theatrical filmmaking, but at the same time, the Oscars is a television show, and we want to reach a large audience.”

The deal, which will start in 2029, will see the Oscars ceremony available for free on YouTube, and other programs such as the pre-show red carpet, the Governors Award, and others will also be available.