The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Beginning in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence streaming exclusively on the global video platform in the year 2029, representing the latest significant change in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, indicating that it signed a multi-year deal awarding YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for 15 March, has been televised for five decades on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the event will be available as a free live stream on the digital platform.
This is one more major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this partnership will allow us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community," stated organization heads in a statement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the awards show have dropped, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers tuning in from smartphones and laptops.
In a separate statement, the video platform's chief executive referred to the Oscars "among our fundamental cultural touchstones" and noted that partnering with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of creativity and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".
ABC, which has streamed the awards since 1976, stated that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
This decision follows film industry giants face complex corporate battles. Both options were seen as problematic for an industry that has seen significant downsizing over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has chosen streaming services as an alternative.
The platform securing the license to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of digital platforms will persist to grow.
