The Academy Awards to Depart Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, signaling the most recent major shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, confirming that it signed a multi-year deal granting YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, set for 15 March, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the event will be accessible as a free live stream on YouTube.
It's one more significant restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to steep slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this partnership will enable us to expand access to the mission of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the movie industry," remarked the Academy's executives in a statement.
For many years, ratings of the awards show have declined, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers watching from smartphones and computers.
In a separate statement, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "among our vital cultural institutions" and added that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of artistic expression and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated history".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This shift coincides with large entertainment companies face complex corporate battles. Such proposals were seen as unfavourable for an business that has witnessed severe reductions over the past several years.
Like major studios, cable networks have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning the license to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on streaming sites will continue increasing.
