The Oscars remain one of television’s biggest events, but like much of TV, their audience has been shrinking for years. That’s why the decision to move the ceremony to YouTube makes sense — though it may not be enough to reverse the decline.
The timing is symbolic. In the same day, news broke that Netflix may acquire Warner Bros. and HBO, and that YouTube will become the Oscars’ new home. Together, it tells a clear story: digital platforms that legacy media once dismissed are now absorbing some of its most valuable institutions.
If Netflix ultimately takes control of Warner Bros., it would mark a major structural shift — a digital-first company owning a traditional movie studio and a premium TV brand. By contrast, the Oscars’ move from ABC to YouTube in 2029 feels more symbolic than transformative. Anyone who watched the show on broadcast TV will likely just watch it on YouTube instead.
While the Oscars could theoretically change in format on YouTube, that’s unlikely. The Academy will still produce the show, and the safest assumption is that future ceremonies will look much like past ones.
The bigger question is whether YouTube actually brings more viewers. Oscar ratings peaked at 57 million US viewers in 1998 and have steadily fallen to less than half that. Today, the ceremony draws far fewer viewers than a typical NFL game.
The usual explanations are familiar — fewer people go to the movies, nominated films lack mainstream appeal, and the broadcast itself isn’t compelling enough. But the simplest answer is that TV has lost relevance in the internet era, with sports being the rare exception.
Putting the Oscars online and making them globally accessible may expand potential reach, but that doesn’t guarantee real interest. Even if major stars fill the Dolby Theatre, many viewers still won’t have seen the nominated films — and they can already follow those celebrities on Instagram and TikTok anytime.
YouTube may be the right platform to chase a larger audience. The risk is discovering that the audience just isn’t there anymore.