The Academy Awards Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin broadcasting solely on the global video platform in the year 2029, representing the newest substantial transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement giving YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, set for March 15th, has been broadcast for a half a century on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the event will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
It's one more significant shakeup in Hollywood, which is navigating studio sales and mergers, along with steep production cuts.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this alliance will permit us to increase availability to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the film community," said the Academy's executives in a statement.
For many years, viewership of the awards show have fallen, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences watching from mobile devices and computers.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "a key essential cultural touchstones" and said that working with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of creativity and cinema enthusiasts while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".
ABC, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, commented that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
This shift coincides with major studios deal with intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were viewed as unfavourable for an business that has witnessed significant downsizing over the past several years.
Similar to big production houses, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the public has shifted towards on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube winning the license to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that reliance on digital platforms will persist to grow.
