The Oscars to Depart ABC and Stream on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start broadcasting solely on the global video platform in the year 2029, signaling the latest significant shift in the film industry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a extended contract granting the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has been broadcast for 50 years on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the show will be available live and for free on YouTube.
This is one more substantial restructuring in Hollywood, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, along with drastic reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will allow us to expand access to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the movie industry," remarked organization heads in a announcement.
For many years, ratings of the awards show have declined, even if there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers tuning in from mobile devices and laptops.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "a key fundamental cultural institutions" and added that working with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of innovation and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, commented that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This shift coincides with major studios face intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were seen as problematic for an industry that has seen severe reductions over the past several years.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have encountered challenges as the public has chosen on-demand video as an alternative.
The platform securing the license to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of streaming sites will carry on expanding.
