Bravo to the Academy for Moving to YouTube

The news came as I was driving from one place to the next and right away the texts came in. I actually suggested the Academy do this very thing a while back…

I’m glad they’re doing it. I wish it were coming sooner than 2029 because I don’t know how much longer I’ll be covering the Oscars, and I’d sure like to cover them as they evolve to the internet age. What I know for sure is this: they’ll get millions and millions of views, maybe even hundreds of millions of views, and if that’s what counts, then this was the right move. Network television is dead. Google is more or less a neutral landing spot, unlike Netflix or other streamers, which require a subscription. This is power to the people.

Here is the press release:

THE ACADEMY PARTNERS WITH YOUTUBE FOR EXCLUSIVE GLOBAL RIGHTS TO THE OSCARS® AND OTHER ACADEMY CONTENT STARTING IN 2029

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube signed a multi-year deal that will give YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars®, beginning in 2029 with the 101st Oscars ceremony and running through 2033.

The Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, and more, will be available live and for free to over 2 billion viewers around the world on YouTube, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States. 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 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, podcasts, and more.

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. It will be a true hub for film fans and will be accessible from around the world.

“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “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.”

“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube. “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.”

The Academy’s domestic partnership for the Oscars will continue with Disney ABC through the 100th Oscars in 2028, as will the international partnership for the Oscars with Disney’s Buena Vista International.

It’s very sad that network television is done but it’s done. It’s over. I use YouTube more than I do anything else. Almost everything I watch is on YouTube. I barely turn my TV on anymore. If I do, it’s to watch Amazon Prime or Netflix (which I barely watch). Disney only for Taylor Swift. HBO on occasion but also rarely. YouTube is, to me, the best when it comes to what I want to watch and I’m really glad the Oscars are landing there. “You can’t stop what’s coming. It ain’t all waiting on you. That’s vanity.” I look forward to this new chapter and I hope I’m alive to see it.

This is a little like AI evolution: you can’t be afraid of it because you can’t stop it. You have to learn how to adapt or be left behind. The Oscars had no other option except to die on the vine or get co-opted into a streamer. So now we can all enjoy them and they will have veins that reach through many different kinds of content. And people can watch them all over the world. For them, it’s a win win. The only thing they lose somewhat is their branding but the prestige that once went along with network television is, alas, gone with the wind.

What do you all think?