The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, representing the newest major shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, stating that it finalized a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the event will be available live and for free on YouTube.
It's another substantial shakeup in the entertainment world, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, in addition to severe slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, 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 film artists and the movie industry," remarked Academy leadership in a announcement.
For many years, viewership of the televised event have declined, even if there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences watching from smartphones and desktops.
In a separate statement, the video platform's chief executive referred to the Oscars "one of our essential cultural institutions" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of innovation and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious legacy".
The broadcast network, which has aired the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
The move follows large entertainment companies confront complex corporate battles. These potential deals were seen as problematic for an business that has seen severe reductions over the last few years.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has increasingly opted for digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning broadcasting rights to the Oscars clearly signals that the dominance of streaming sites will continue expanding.
