The Academy Awards to Depart Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin airing only on YouTube in 2029, signaling the newest significant change in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement awarding YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the event will be viewable in real-time without charge on YouTube.
It's one more significant upheaval in Hollywood, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, in addition to steep production cuts.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will allow us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the movie industry," said organization heads in a statement.
Throughout a long period, audience numbers of the ceremony have declined, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from mobile devices and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "one of our fundamental pillars of culture" and added that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a younger cohort of artistic expression and movie fans while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated history".
ABC, which has televised the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will continue to air.
This shift comes as major studios confront complex corporate battles. Both options were seen as unfavourable for an business that has experienced severe reductions over the past several years.
Similar to big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the viewers has shifted towards streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that reliance on streaming sites will carry on expanding.
