Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube has approached the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its partners about acquiring the broadcast rights to the Oscars, according to people familiar with the discussions. The awards ceremony is contractually committed to air on Walt Disney Co.’s ABC network through at least 2028. YouTube’s inquiry signals early jockeying for the next rights cycle as traditional television audiences shrink and major events consider wider digital distribution. A successful bid would mark the first time the Oscars, one of television’s premier live events, shifts from a legacy broadcast outlet to a global streaming platform, underscoring the growing leverage of online video services in premium live entertainment.