It’s 2025, and YouTube has become one of the latest platforms to show interest in buying the rights to the Academy Awards, just when you think you’ve seen it all.
YouTube exploring the odds of hosting the Oscars is a bold and substantial move that could shake up the advertising and entertainment industries worldwide. The prestigious ceremony has been airing on ABC (owned by Disney) for nearly five decades, and this partnership is expected to last until 2028. By trying to secure the rights, YouTube is stepping into the world of live, premium events, traditionally reserved for major television networks.
This is undoubtedly a disruptive event, as it introduces a whole new battlefield and could further intensify the streaming wars. It could force top streamers such as Prime Video and Netflix to compete not only in original movies and shows but also in exclusive live events.
For years, the streaming wars have been driven by an arms race for original, on-demand content. Platforms have spent billions on shows and movies to attract and retain subscribers, particularly in the last decade. This is why YouTube’s strategy to purchase the rights to the Academy Awards could immediately cement the platform as a serious player in this new arena.
This shift is already underway in sports, where platforms like Amazon and Apple have secured exclusive rights to major league games in the US. JioHotstar has the rights for IPL in India. The Oscars could become the first major awards show to follow this trend.
An Oscars broadcast on YouTube would likely be a free, ad-supported event, promoting the adoption of the AVOD (advertising video-on-demand) model. The move would showcase YouTube’s advanced ad-targeting technology and its ability to monetize a massive, engaged live audience.
This could pressure platforms like Netflix and Disney+ to double down on their own ad-supported tiers and live content offerings.
From a viewership perspective, the strategy makes complete sense. Streaming a premium event like the Oscars on YouTube guarantees a broad reach. The Oscars’ viewership has been on a long-term downward trend, with only a few notable exceptions, such as the post-pandemic recovery and the “Barbenheimer” effect in 2024.
In 2014, the Oscars drew over 43 million viewers. By 2021, that number had plummeted to an all-time low of just over 10 million. While viewership has since recovered somewhat, the numbers remain far below their peak. The 2025 ceremony, for example, drew an estimated 18 million viewers, a 7% drop from the previous year.
A key reason for the decline is the broader societal shift away from traditional cable television. Younger audiences, in particular, are no longer tied to cable networks; instead, they prefer consuming entertainment via streaming platforms and digital services.
This is where YouTube steps in. With a global reach of over 2.7 billion monthly users, the platform allows the Academy to bypass the limitations of linear television and capture millions of younger, potential viewers.
Let’s see what happens next. Stay tuned for more updates.
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