The Academy Awards to Depart Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, marking the newest substantial shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, indicating that it finalized a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been televised for five decades on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the show will be available as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is a further substantial restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with severe reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this collaboration will enable us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the film community," said the Academy's executives in a announcement.
For many years, audience numbers of the ceremony have declined, though there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from mobile devices and computers.
In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "a key fundamental cultural institutions" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
ABC, which has televised the ceremony since 1976, commented that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This shift follows film industry giants deal with intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were considered unfavourable for an sector that has seen drastic cuts over the recent period.
Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has increasingly opted for on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Oscars strongly indicates that reliance on streaming sites will continue to grow.
