“Feels risky not to do it”: Academy CEO talks about Oscars moving to YouTube from 2029

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) CEO Bill Kramer spoke about the decision to shift away from traditional television for the Oscars and why the award show will move to YouTube in 2029 at the Zurich Film Festival Summit that took place on Saturday, saying:

"Not at all. It almost feels risky to not do it because we’re looking at the future, and the deal starts in [20]29, so that’s our 101st Oscars."

Kramer added:

"With each month, a larger percentage of the TV-watching audience is on YouTube, and those numbers are increasing. So I don’t think it’s a risk."

The statement came after Deadline's Andreas Wiseman asked if he considered the deal a risk, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Kramer explained that the Academy has a strong partnership with Disney for the next two years, while also working closely with YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and his team to create a more interactive experience.

More on the story below.

What did the Academy CEO say about the Oscars moving to YouTube?

The Academy announced a partnership with YouTube in December 2025 for their award show and other Academy content. As stated on their website, the new partnership gives YouTube exclusive global rights to the Oscars starting in 2029. The ceremony will be available to watch live and for free on YouTube through 2033.

Speaking of the annual awards ceremony moving to YouTube, the Academy CEO, Bill Kramer, said during the Zurich Film Festival Summit that YouTube is the best way for the Academy to reach a global audience, including film lovers and young artists.

He also spoke to Kane Parsons, famous for Backrooms, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, about how the timing felt right this year, pointing to movies like Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, and Backrooms, directed by Parsons. Obsession, made on a budget of approximately $750k, reportedly earned $519 million at the box office, making it a big hit. The movie starred Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, who is also joining Marvel as Rogue. On the other hand, Backrooms, made on a reported budget of $10 million, reportedly earned $401 million, making it another box office hit. Both Obsession and Backrooms were created by filmmakers who started out on YouTube.

Kramer pointed out that the situation is moving in the opposite direction, with films going from YouTube to theaters, while the Academy is an organization that celebrates theatrical filmmaking. However, he added that:

"The Oscars is a television show, and we want to reach a large audience."

Speaking about the opportunities YouTube offers, Kramer said:

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

As stated on the Academy's website, the deal will cover much more than just the live awards ceremony. Interested viewers around the world will get to watch Governors Ball, the red carpet, behind-the-scenes clips, and other award show content for free on YouTube. The new partnership between the parties will also include worldwide access to the Governors Awards, announcement of nominations, nominees luncheon, and even podcasts, interviews, and educational content.

Disney ABC will continue its partnership through 2028. At the time of writing, the YouTube channel of the Oscars has 3.47 million subscribers.

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