The Academy Awards to Depart Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, representing the latest major shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, indicating that it entered into a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, set for March 15th, has been broadcast for a half a century on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be available live and for free on YouTube.
This is a further significant upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with company buyouts and fusions, along with severe slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this alliance will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be positive for our membership and the film community," stated Academy leadership in a release.
For many years, audience numbers of the televised event have declined, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences watching from cell phones and laptops.
In a separate statement, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "among our vital pillars of culture" and added that working with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of creativity and cinema enthusiasts while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This decision follows major studios confront challenging merger discussions. These potential deals were viewed as problematic for an sector that has experienced severe reductions over the past several years.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have struggled as the audience has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
The platform securing the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that dependence on streaming sites will carry on expanding.
