The Oscars Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, signaling the most recent significant change in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, confirming that it finalized a extended contract awarding YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been broadcast for 50 years on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the event will be available as a free live stream on YouTube.
It's one more significant upheaval in the entertainment world, which is navigating company buyouts and fusions, in addition to severe slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be advantageous for our membership and the movie industry," said organization heads in a announcement.
For many years, audience numbers of the awards show have declined, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences tuning in from mobile devices and computers.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "a key vital pillars of culture" and added that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of artistic expression and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' storied history".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
The move follows large entertainment companies deal with complex corporate battles. Both options were viewed as unfavourable for an sector that has witnessed significant downsizing over the past several years.
Like major studios, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the audience has increasingly opted for streaming services instead.
YouTube winning rights to the Oscars strongly indicates that dependence on digital platforms will carry on to grow.
