The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin streaming exclusively on YouTube in the year 2029, representing the most recent significant transformation in the film industry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on this week, confirming that it signed a multi-year deal giving the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be available as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is another major upheaval in Hollywood, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, along with steep slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this partnership will enable us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
For many years, viewership of the ceremony have declined, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences watching from smartphones and laptops.
In a separate statement, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "one of our essential cultural institutions" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of artistic expression and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy".
The broadcast network, which has aired the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.
This shift follows large entertainment companies confront complex corporate battles. These potential deals were viewed as unfavourable for an industry that has experienced significant downsizing over the recent period.
In common with major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the public has chosen on-demand video instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of streaming sites will persist to grow.
