The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on the global video platform in the year 2029, representing the most recent significant shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on this week, confirming that it signed a extended contract giving YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has aired for five decades on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be accessible in real-time without charge on YouTube.
It's another substantial shakeup in the entertainment world, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, coupled with steep slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this alliance will permit us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the film community," remarked the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the ceremony have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences tuning in from cell phones and computers.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "among our essential cultural institutions" and added that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of innovation and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied history".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
The move comes as film industry giants deal with complex corporate battles. Such proposals were viewed as unfavourable for an industry that has witnessed significant downsizing over the last few years.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has chosen on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that dependence on streaming sites will persist increasing.
