The Academy Awards to Depart ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, representing the latest major shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that it signed a extended contract awarding YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, set for 15 March, has aired for five decades on ABC. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
It's a further significant upheaval in the entertainment world, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, along with severe slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this partnership will enable us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be beneficial for our membership and the cinematic world," said Academy leadership in a statement.
Over decades, ratings of the televised event have declined, even if there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a considerable amount of younger viewers watching from smartphones and laptops.
In a related comment, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "a key fundamental pillars of culture" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a new generation of innovation and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' storied legacy".
ABC, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, commented that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This shift comes as film industry giants deal with challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were seen as problematic for an business that has seen drastic cuts over the last few years.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards digital platforms instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Academy Awards clearly signals that dependence on online services will continue increasing.
