Well, look what we’ve got here—the once-glamorous, once-unmissable Oscars have officially packed their bags and are headed for YouTube. That’s right. Starting in 2029, the Academy Awards will be streaming on a platform best known for cat videos, makeup tutorials, and people yelling into webcams about video games. The final ABC broadcast wraps in 2028, conveniently marking the 100th anniversary of the ceremony. A milestone, sure—but also a full-circle moment, as Hollywood’s biggest night goes from cultural juggernaut to just another live stream.
Let’s rewind a bit. There was a time, not all that long ago, when the Oscars *mattered*. They were the Super Bowl of the arts. Red carpets, major stars, unforgettable speeches, and yes—actual movie fans watching by the tens of millions.
In the glory days between 1974 and 2019, the Oscars were a national event. You couldn’t walk into work the next morning without someone asking if you saw who won Best Picture or what so-and-so wore.
Then came the Woke Era. And whatever side of the aisle you’re on, there’s no denying that something shifted. The air of celebration turned into lectures. The glitz got swapped for guilt. And the movies being honored? Let’s just say fewer people watched them, and even fewer wanted to sit through a three-hour sermon about why they should’ve. Since 2021, the show has struggled to pull even 20 million viewers—a fraction of its former glory.
So now, with ratings in the tank and relevance circling the drain, ABC has finally cut the cord. And who steps in? YouTube. To be fair, it’s not a small platform—far from it. YouTube is massive, and globally, more eyeballs land there than on any single TV network. But still, this move feels like the Oscars getting evicted from the penthouse and shacking up in the basement “content creator” lounge.
The Academy’s leadership is, predictably, spinning it as a bold new chapter. They’re “thrilled” about the “global partnership” and giddy over “expanding access.” Which, read between the lines, means they know fewer people care—but at least now it’ll be easier to find them wherever they are on the internet. And YouTube’s CEO? He’s talking about “inspiring a new generation,” which is corporate speak for “maybe Gen Z will watch if we sprinkle in some influencers.”
Disney, which owns ABC, is reportedly relieved to be rid of the $100 million annual headache. For them, the Oscars were a dinosaur devouring airtime with no ratings to show for it.
Meanwhile, YouTube, owned by Google, has the cash to burn and a reason to make this work—because for them, turning the Oscars into a streaming hit would be a flex.
But let’s not sugarcoat it. This is a downgrade. A demotion. A once-iconic network TV event now lives in the same digital neighborhood as prank channels and mukbangs. Sure, YouTube has reach, but it doesn’t have the same gravitas—or the expectation of it. It’s the Oscars in sweatpants.
Conan O’Brien is set to host the 2026 show, which could be fun if people actually tune in. But let’s be honest. Most of us won’t. Because somewhere between alienating the audience and honoring films barely anyone saw, the Oscars stopped being an event and started being a chore.
