The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, marking the newest substantial transformation in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, confirming that it signed a extended contract giving the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for March 15th, has been broadcast for 50 years on ABC. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be accessible as a free live stream on the digital platform.
It's a further substantial restructuring in Hollywood, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, coupled with drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this collaboration will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be positive for our membership and the cinematic world," said Academy leadership in a release.
For many years, audience numbers of the awards show have dropped, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from mobile devices and computers.
In a corresponding announcement, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "one of our vital pillars of culture" and said that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of innovation and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy".
ABC, which has aired the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This shift follows film industry giants confront intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were seen as unfavourable for an business that has witnessed significant downsizing over the last few years.
In common with major studios, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the audience has shifted towards streaming services instead.
YouTube winning the license to the Academy Awards further suggests that reliance on online services will persist expanding.
