The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin broadcasting solely on YouTube in the year 2029, marking the latest major transformation in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, indicating that it entered into a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for March 15th, has been broadcast for five decades on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is a further significant upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with company buyouts and fusions, along with steep reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this alliance will enable us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd possible - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the cinematic world," stated organization heads in a release.
Over decades, viewership of the televised event have declined, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers streaming from cell phones and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "a key fundamental pillars of culture" and added that partnering with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of innovation and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' storied history".
ABC, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, stated that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
This shift coincides with large entertainment companies confront challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were considered unfavourable for an business that has seen significant downsizing over the past several years.
Like big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the audience has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
The platform securing rights to the Oscars clearly signals that the dominance of streaming sites will persist to grow.
