The Oscars Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in the year 2029, signaling the latest significant transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, indicating that it entered into a long-term agreement granting YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for 50 years on ABC. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be available as a free live stream on the digital platform.
It's one more significant shakeup in the entertainment world, which is grappling with company buyouts and fusions, in addition to steep slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this partnership will allow us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the film community," remarked the Academy's executives in a statement.
For many years, viewership of the awards show have dropped, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences tuning in from mobile devices and desktops.
In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "one of our vital pillars of culture" and added that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of innovation and cinema enthusiasts while adhering to the Oscars' storied heritage".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This decision comes as film industry giants deal with complex corporate battles. Both options were considered unfavourable for an industry that has experienced severe reductions over the recent period.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the public has increasingly opted for digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning the license to the Academy Awards further suggests that reliance on digital platforms will continue to grow.