Marketers are following audiences to streaming, yet linear remains vital for scale and outcomes.

The Academy Awards will leave ABC after nearly 50 years and stream exclusively on YouTube beginning in 2029—a decisive acknowledgment that audience attention has migrated to digital TV. The deal gives the Academy expanded year-round programming options, flexible sponsorship formats, and a global distribution footprint that linear networks can no longer match. YouTube, now the No. 1 source of US TV viewing time at 13%, gains a premier cultural event as it continues its push into live programming alongside NFL Sunday Ticket. For marketers, the Oscars’ move underscores how YouTube has become the industry’s default television—and a must-buy for premium reach.

Oscars viewership falls 7% but improves across younger demographics: The ratings decline doesn’t necessarily mean that live events are a lost cause.

Hulu’s technical breakdown at the Oscars sparks backlash: Subscribers missed key moments as the stream crashed early, exposing the platform’s struggles with high-profile live events.

A standard currency for TV and digital is unlikely, despite buyers’ wishes: Media buyers want more connection between linear and streaming TV, and though individual networks are making strides, an industrywide solution is unlikely.

For UK video platforms, competition around premium content is intensifying, with digital services increasingly coming to the fore. For our report on digital video in the UK, we looked at the products that traditional and digital-first broadcasters are offering their audiences.