Conan O’Brien pokes fun at the Oscars’ future on YouTube with one of the night’s best jokes
The host turned the ceremony’s impending move to the video platform into a gag that was as hilarious as it was effective.
The best jokes aren’t just funny—they also make you think and reflect. Conan O’Brien gave us one of those moments, reflecting a shared fear about the Oscars’ upcoming move to YouTube, with an idea that anyone who has spent time watching videos online can relate to: the feeling that everything can be interrupted, sold, and chopped up in the middle of an experience that once seemed more solemn—even during its commercial breaks.
In December 2025, the Academy announced its agreement with YouTube to grant it exclusive global rights to the Oscars from 2029 through 2033. This means that the ceremony will bring its long-running television partnership with ABC to a close after the 100th edition, scheduled for 2028, and usher in a new digital era, with live, free-to-air coverage worldwide. A bold move built on a genuine transformation of the biggest showcase of the American film industry.
Conan O’Brien set the stage during his monologue and mentioned that some people were worried about how the Oscars would change once they moved to YouTube. At that very moment, the sketch was interrupted by an intrusive ad—with a very recognizable aesthetic—in which Jane Lynch appeared selling a tactical flashlight (she would later return with another sudden interruption). Everyone got the reference; the rhythm was deliberately broken, and the humor came precisely from that kind of aggressive advertising that so many users associate with online video.
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O’Brien didn’t just mock YouTube as a brand, but also the modern way of consuming audiovisual content. The Oscars, which have been struggling for years to address issues of pacing, length, and relevance, suddenly found themselves reflected in the mirror of a massive, open, and global platform—one that is, admittedly, also marked by aggressiveness and constant interruptions (unless you pay, of course).
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