The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony are set to start broadcasting solely on the global video platform in 2029, representing the newest major transformation in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, indicating that it signed a long-term agreement awarding the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has aired for five decades on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the event will be viewable live and for free on the digital platform.
This is a further significant restructuring in Hollywood, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to severe reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this collaboration will allow us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be positive for our Academy members and the cinematic world," said the Academy's executives in a statement.
Over decades, viewership of the awards show have fallen, though there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences streaming from smartphones and desktops.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube described the Oscars "a key essential cultural institutions" and noted that working with the Academy would "spark a younger cohort of creativity and movie fans while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, said that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
This decision follows large entertainment companies confront challenging merger discussions. Both options were seen as concerning for an industry that has witnessed severe reductions over the last few years.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the viewers has increasingly opted for streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of digital platforms will persist to grow.
