The Oscars became a visual spectacle in 1953 when it first aired on NBC and then shifted in technicolor glory to ABC in 1966. It seemed like a similar landmark for the biggest night in Hollywood was when it streamed live for the first time on Hulu, but now the Academy Awards will be jumping to YouTube in a few years. With the prestigious award show moving to the video-sharing platform in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ head honchos have revealed how they really feel about it.
The Academy announced in a December press release that The Oscars would be airing on ABC until 2029, at which time it will find its new home on YouTube for four years. With one of the biggest award shows about to leave its over six-decade home, does that mean The Academy has bad blood with ABC? The organization’s president Lynette Howell Taylor shared her thoughts with The Hollywood Reporter saying,
It’s not even a little bit like that. This is a long, deep partnership with ABC. They’ve been terrific partners. The two organizations have worked so well together, and on a personal level, we’ve been working with these individuals for years. We’re thinking about the future, but we still have three more shows with ABC and they’re very much our partners, and we want to make sure that every year for those three years, we’re giving film fans and nominees the best experience possible. ABC feels exactly the same.
I’m glad to know that there are no hard feelings between The Academy and ABC – especially since they plan to air three more Oscar ceremonies before their big transition.
All things considered, it seems like great timing that the Oscars will soon be moving to YouTube. While the 97th Academy Awards last year hit a five-year-high with 19.7 million watching, the Hulu app experience a significant glitch during the broadcast. At least on YouTube, one might think the chances of that happening would be slimmer.
So, we know how The Academy feels about moving to YouTube. However, how does ABC feel about this change? The Academy’s CEO Bill Kramer shared his take on the network TV channel’s thoughts, adding to his colleagues comments saying,
I could not agree more. Dana [Walden] and Craig [Erwich] and Scott and Rob [Mills] and Deb O’Connell — I mean, we are talking to some if not all of them almost on a daily basis right now. They’re incredible partners. They want to see us succeed. They’re setting us up for success. And they’re thrilled with the shows of the last couple of years. They’re feeling really good about the Oscars and they continue to be great partners for us.
That must have felt like a breath of fresh air for The Academy to know that ABC is still cheering them on, even if they don’t air their show on their network anymore. As ABC will still have The Academy for the next three years, their partnership can reach its close on a more positive note.
There are many benefits to The Oscars eventually moving to YouTube. Two billion people will have free access to the long-running ceremony all around the world. With closed captioning and multiple audio languages planned to be available, the celebration of film will theoretically be accessible to anyone with internet access. Not to mention, I’m sure it’ll be a lot of fun for fans to share their reactions on the website’s live chat of the big wins, surprise upsets, and memorable speeches.
Despite the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences moving to its new YouTube home in 2029, its decades-long partnership will continue for the next three years. As the SAG Awards (now the Actor Awards) moved to its new streaming location, live on your Netflix subscription this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if eventually all award shows ended up on the streaming schedule compared to traditional TV. For now, you can watch the 98th Academy Awards live on ABC and simultaneously stream on your Hulu subscription next Sunday, March 15.
